SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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It’s Pure Tech: 2016 Peugeot 208 GT Line a/t

Nothing awkward

Pics by Motorpress

Posted 5 August 2016

The numbers
Price: R304 900
Engine: 1199 cc, three-cylinder turbopetrol
Power: 81 kW at 5500 rpm
Torque: 205 Nm 1500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 9.8 seconds
Maximum speed: 190 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.0 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 311 – 1152 litres
Warranty: 3 years / 100 000 km
Service plan: 3 years / 45 000 km

Some people are odd; especially those who drop the steering wheel ‘way down, then whine that its top curve blocks their view of the upper arcs of the instruments. But when Peugeot raised the instrument panel on its 208, in order to overcome that, writers at a leading publication complained about its “challenging driving position.”  There is nothing awkward about the driving position in this car; it’s just that certain folk hate change.

Speaking of which, Peugeot introduced a facelifted front end and new tail lamps for its 208s last September and rationalised the range. That’s business-speak for drastic pruning. The previous nine-car line-up offered five engines including a diesel and a hot little turbo-boosted 1600 GTi.

The new range consists of four models using variations on a pair of Pure Tech three-pot mills. The unblown one-litre returns in an entry-level Pop Art model and the 1199 cc triple is back in natural and boosted formats. These power a 1.2 Active and a pair of 1.2 GT Line models – manual and automatic. Our test car was a GT Line automatic.

This gearbox deserves at least a paragraph on its own. Peugeot calls it EAT6 (Efficient Automatic Transmission six-speed). Its developers, Aisin Warner, call it AWTF-80 SC. It is controlled electronically and uses a torque converter, but it mimics a twin-clutch box in the way it holds the next gear ready until one clutch disengages and the next one takes over.

It’s user-friendly in the way it displays which gear it is in, holds the most suitable ratio for prevailing circumstances, doesn’t shift upward the second you release accelerator pressure, never hunts and kicks down promptly when you need it to. Possibly not quite as razor sharp as some twin-clutch units, it nonetheless comfortably outperforms others.

With the 1200 turbo-motor it gives users a perky little car (0-100 in 9.8 seconds) that drives and handles beautifully. In a nod to its GT Line label, the engine snarls gently when pushed but isn’t obtrusive. We will miss the “proper” GTi, but it’s probably too close to the 308 GT, performance-wise, for comfort.

Two little buttons on top of the central console offer “snow” and “sport” settings that alter throttle- and gearbox responses quite noticeably. Each one is a simple select-deselect that switches between the labelled function and “normal” as it is pressed. We used the snow button occasionally to imitate the Eco mode found on other cars. Automatic stop-and-start is a standard feature.

The back seat could be a bit challenging for big rugby forwards but it’s usable. The boot is neat, square, easy enough to load or unload and of useful size. Its interior is lit; the spare under the floorboard is a fully sized alloy and the 2/3:1/3 seat backs can be laid down from behind. Lefties will appreciate the ambidextrous pull-down handles.

The interior is essentially the same as before, so the main instruments are still analogue, the 9.7" i-Cockpit touch pad is clear and easy to use and the glove box is still French-tiny. But it’s a comfortable space with nicely shaped cloth-and-leather seats (both front chairs adjustable for elevation) and enough headroom for tall drivers. Fit and finish is up to the usual Peugeot standard.

Most of the expected safety- and convenience kit is fitted, but you will have to do without a reversing camera unfortunately. But that’s all. You are getting an energetic compact car with automatic transmission, a decent boot and upmarket fit and finish, for only R305 000 after all.

Test unit from Peugeot SA press fleet

We drove a manual version in 2018. Read about it here

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What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

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