New Peugeot 208: square steering wheel and stunning new looks for EV supermini

“What we’re working on now is really the next big thing for us: the new 208,” Peugeot brand CEO Alain Favey told Auto Express in an exclusive interview. He said the recent Polygon concept – a small hatchback which gives big hints to the Peugeot 208’s design and technology – fired the starting gun on the new hatch’s introduction, with an unveiling likely at October’s Paris Motor Show.

The 208 will be the first model on a new ‘STLA’ electric-car chassis. “The car is on STLA Small and it will be launched as a BEV,” Favey said. “We were first with STLA Medium as well [beneath the 3008 SUV]. It’s Peugeot’s role to bring innovation among Europe’s mainstream brands.”

The new chassis incorporates ‘Hypersquare’ steer-by-wire, where the mechanical link between the steering and wheels is replaced by digital impulses. This will also help unlock two fundamental 208 goals: dynamic handling and maximum space in a compact package.

The CEO explained: “More people live or work in urban areas, where space is becoming more and more constrained and the roads are more and more congested. So you need compact exterior dimensions together with a very spacious interior. That’s what we’re trying to explore with Polygon and the rest.”

The Polygon’s proportions – with the windscreen pushed forward shrinking the nose, and a longer wheelbase – show how electric cars can cram more space into a small footprint. Eliminating the steering column, combined with a new dashboard architecture, will boost roominess, too. And will this focus have a knock-on effect in minimising weight gain, which saps EV range? “Absolutely: that’s what we’re trying to do with the next 208,” Favey said.

“And the concept car is a way for us to push our designers and engineers to find solutions. Polygon was sponsored by Ned Curic, our chief engineer; he’s trying to push his engineers to find solutions to make lighter cars and to increase recyclability. Some of this will find its way into the next 208, and later models.”

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What will the new Peugeot 208 look like?

The Polygon will certainly shape the next 208’s look, as our exclusive images suggest. The design cleverly mixes details inspired by the eighties 205 supermini with modern clean surfacing and sheer edges. The front and rear light strips mirror the original 205’s striped grille and rear hatch cover, but execute them in a very contemporary way.

“The horizontal, three-line light signature is something that you’ll find on future Peugeots,” confirmed Favey. “Same for the back. The very prominent red lights, and the fact they are horizontal lines, are a hint at what’s to come in future Peugeots.”

“The boss added: “Our designers like to mix modernity and some positive elements of our heritage. We wish to use elements of the past to create the future.”

Stellantis planned the next 208 when demand for electric cars looked unstoppable, with STLA Small subsequently engineered primarily for EVs. But Favey wouldn’t be drawn on whether the architecture and Spanish manufacturing base can be revised to accept hybrid drivetrains. That’s one option, with an alternative being to refresh today’s combustion 208s and sell them alongside the new EV model for as long as there’s demand.

Vauxhall is facing the same conundrum with the next Corsa, which is also based on STLA Small and twinned with the new Peugeot.

Favey plans to offer the inaugural electric 208 GTi, launching this year as the crowning glory for the current, seven-year-old supermini, alongside the next E-208, but performance levels will be quite different. Favey said: “As long as there’s demand, we will keep the GTi on sale; the new 208 in 2027 will attract a different kind of clientele and that’s fine.”

Peugeot E-208 batteries, range and power

While the halo GTi will pack 276bhp, the E-208 will start with more modest power outputs. Stellantis is developing a new range of e-motors, producing between 100bhp and 450bhp. E-208 power will need to span from 130bhp to 220bhp to match the Volkswagen ID. Polo and Cupra Raval line-ups.

Those small VW Group EVs will be built in Spain to exploit its lower cost base, and Stellantis is taking the same approach: the Zaragoza plant which makes the current Corsa and E-208 is earmarked for the next-generation cars, with other STLA Small cars also set for the Vigo factory.

The 208’s longer wheelbase will enable bigger battery packs than today’s 51kWh maximum. STLA Small can accommodate up to 82kWh to yield a maximum range of around 300 miles. Smaller packs – potentially just under 40kWh – will be available to create city runabouts. A 400-volt electrical architecture will ensure charging is a bit quicker than today’s E-208, which DC charges from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes – and that’s with a bigger battery.

What will the new Peugeot 208 look like inside?

Favey says charismatic design, high-quality cars and customer service plus “driving sensations” will underpin the new Peugeots delivered on his watch. And steer-by-wire will provide a unique supermini driving experience, thanks to the oblong-shaped yoke dubbed ‘Hypersquare’.

Peugeots have long been known for their direct steering, with small steering wheels as the centrepiece of its ‘i-Cockpit’ set-up. Hypersquare will take things to the next level, with sophisticated software assessing the car’s speed and surroundings to deliver variable and precise levels of steering-motor assistance.   

Favey believes this tech leadership will help Peugeot fend off gadget-packed Chinese challengers.

So could this hi-tech new Peugeot be such a generational leap that it’s worthy of reviving the ‘09’ suffix last seen on the nineties 309? Favey won’t be drawn on 209 – but the smile on his face suggests, at the very least, he’s thought about it.

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