ROAD TEST: Peugeot 208 GTi
Peugeot is not a brand name that gets bandied about too often in polite, or even not-so-polite, hot hatch conversation.
It figures. Not only did South Africa miss out on the original 205 GTi of the 1980s -regarded as a legend among early pocket rockets - but the 206 and 207 GTi models failed to get pulses racing in a significant way.
Now the 208 GTI stomps in with the promise of rectifying all of that and it sure delivers the goods onto paper. While the 206 and 207 both added significant weight to the formula - albeit making up for that with extra power - the 208 has become slightly smaller, without sacrificing cabin space, and it's shed a significant 90kg.
THE LIGHT WAY
Yet the 208 GTi doesn't rely on its weight loss regime for that extra sparkle at the lights. It's also significantly more powerful than its 128kW/240Nm predecessor, with the latest and most potent iteration of Peugeot's 1.6-litre turbopetrol forcing 147kW through the front wheels at 5800rpm and 275Nm from 1700 - giving it an on-paper edge over its rivals.
On the mean streets, however, this GTi doesn't feel quite as powerful as its spec sheet suggests and perhaps this is down to its ultra-smooth power delivery. It pulls off the line with virtually nothing in the way of lag and powers its way to the red line with little in the way of drama.
Deceptive it is, because when put against the clock, this French fireball really delivers the goods. Our colleagues at Star Motoring coerced it from zero to 100km/h in 7.3 seconds at Gauteng altitude, making it the quickest manual-gearbox hatch in its class, albeit by a narrow margin. For the record, the Fiesta ST took 7.4s and the OPC 7.9s; only the Polo GTI was quicker, taking 7.1s with the help of a DSG gearbox.
The Peugeot's sporting tone is evident from the second you sink into its narrow, body-hugging driver's seat. You look ahead at red inlays that gradually fade to black and the flat-bottomed steering wheel is miniscule and may obscure the dials depending on your size and preferred driving position. I quite enjoyed the whole set-up, the small wheel allowing you to fully appreciate the car's nimbleness.
SMOOTH CRUISER
And nimble it is. Sure, it'll succumb to understeer at the limit, but keep things on the safer side of insanity and the 208 will attack the curves with confidence.
Best of all, it also has a comfortable ride quality, which is not all that common in a hot hatch of this size. The Peugeot won't rattle your bones for the sake of shedding a few seconds around the Nurburgring, which you'll only ever drive it on if you book a long-haul flight and rent another one on that end.
This GTi takes a more graceful approach to the hot hatch. It's comfortable to drive - from that aforementioned ride quality and power delivery right through to the slick, yet weighty gear-shift action.
The 208 GTI might be a bit tight on legroom for rear passengers, but it's nice enough up front and packs the usual executive car trappings like dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and wipers, cruise control and a generously-sized touch-screen infotainment system.
That said, I reckon they've gone completely overboard by fitting the Park Assistance system as standard. This gadget will automatically steer itself into a parallel parking space once it's detected a big enough gap. Surely if you're buying a hot hatch, you don't need a machine to do your parking for you?
Without this feature, Peugeot could have priced the GTi even more competitively, although, at R262 500, it still offers a compelling deal. It's only marginally more expensive than the already-well-priced Fiesta ST and undercuts the rest of the boy racer brigade.
VERDICT
You might find it hard to pry yourself away from the slightly more involving ST, but if you're looking for a pocket rocket that delivers the speed in a more refined and comfortable way, at a good price to boot, the 208 GTi could be the surprise package you've been looking for.
FACTS
Engine:4-cyl, 1.6-litre turbopetrol
Power:147kW @ 5800rpm
Torque:275Nm @ 1700rpm
0-100km/h (Gauteng):7.3 seconds
Top speed (claimed):230km/h
Consumption (claimed):5.9 l/100km
Price: R262 500
Warranty:3-year/100 000km
Maintenance plan:5-year/60 000km
Price: R262 500
ALTERNATIVES
Alfa Mito QV (125kW/250Nm) - R292 900
Ford Fiesta ST (134kW/290Nm) - R259 900
Mini Cooper S (135kW/260Nm) - R303 668
Opel Corsa OPC (141kW/266Nm) - R288 300
VW Polo GTI (132kW/250Nm) - R289 600