The next-level 208 will be introduced as a BEV first, with Favey confirming that it would sit alongside the existing 208, suggesting hybrid will arrive later. For how long remains to be seen, because the current hatchback will be positively archaic alongside the new model. Vauxhall is facing the same conundrum with the next Corsa, which is also based on the same underpinnings and twinned with the new Peugeot.
Next-gen Peugeot E-208 to be sold alongside new GTi
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.”
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.
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