The electric Peugeot 208 GTi comeback we’ve been waiting for, but will we see this Mini JCW rival Down Under?
Peugeot has reinvented its iconic GTi performance brand for the electric age, pulling drapes off the battery-powered Peugeot E-208 GTi at this month’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
Created to rival the Alpine A290, Abarth 500e, Mini John Cooper Works and inbound Volkswagen ID.2 GTI, the return of the GTi follows a near four-year hiatus since the last-generation 308 GTi went off sale in 2021.
Developed by Peugeot Sport, the new version might drop combustion but is said to still draw plenty from the iconic petrol-powered 205 GTi from the eighties and early nineties.
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Based on the current e-208, engineers have chosen to employ off-the-shelf parts to hot up its small hatchback, including repurposing the powertrain from the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce.
Featuring a single e-motor that pushes out 206kW and 345Nm of torque, the French hot hatch mirrors the Italian by employing a traction-boosting mechanical limited-slip differential.
Capable of shrugging off its 1596kg kerb weight, the E-208 GTi is said to hit 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds – 0.2 seconds quicker than the Mini John Cooper Works Electric, and a substantial 0.7sec quicker than the Alpine A290 that could come to Australia.
Top speed is limited to 180km/h.
Like lesser E-208s, the GTi keeps the regular hatch’s 54kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery but adopts new software from the firm’s 9X8 LMDh hybrid racer that’s said to see the hot hatch claw back more energy under braking, while delivering higher power at lower temperatures than the standard car.
The range is 349km, with Peugeot Sport claiming a 20 to 80 per cent DC top-up taking less than 30 minutes at a peak charging rate of 100kW.
Peugeot Sport has developed a bespoke suspension set-up for the E-208 GTi to ensure it will beat its rivals on road and track. This includes stiffer springs and new damper plus hydraulic bump stops for better comfort. There’s also a newly added rear anti-roll bar and sharper re-tuned steering rack.
The GTi sits 30mm lower than the standard hatch, while front track has been widened by 56mm, plus a 27mm broader track at the rear boost mid-corner grip and give the little hot hatch a more purposeful stance.
Substantially reworked aero includes a new front splitter, it’s sprouted a rear spoiler, while there’s a new rear diffuser – all should boost downforce and stability at high speed.
Playful tribute to the old 205 GTi is a set of 18-inch tele-dial alloy wheels that mimic the latter 205 GTI’s 1.9-litre’s rims. The GTi’s typeface, meanwhile, is also borrowed from the eighties icon.
Behind those new wheels are 355mm brake discs, while track-focused sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres suggest the electric hot hatch is built with track use in mind.
More hints at its hot hatch pedigree are found within, with the usual Alcantara trimmed bucket seats and a sports steering wheel blended with crimson red carpets, just like the original 205 GTi.
Commenting on the arrival of the E-208 GTi, Peugeot CEO Alain Favey said:
“We are thrilled to introduce the new Peugeot E-208 GTi, a ground-breaking next chapter in an iconic GTi story. This model represents a fusion of our rich heritage with cutting-edge technology, offering unparalleled performance and driving sensations, because at Peugeot we are serious about driving pleasure. With this new GTi, we set new standards within the hot hatch market.”
Despite the relaunch with electric power, according to reports the arrival of the new E-208 GTi EV Peugeot has not ruled out a return to its combustion roots, with a petrol or (more likely) hybrid Peugeot 208 GTi not explicitly ruled out from emerging later.
Back in Australia, a switch in strategy saw plans for importing the E-208 hatch dropped at the last minute, meaning the reborn GTi’s future Down Under remains uncertain despite our love for hot hatchbacks.
