A look at the brand new Peugeot 208.

An essential read for anyone thinking of leasing a Peugeot 208.

The Peugeot 208 is the latest hatchback offering from the French firm. Hailed as a successor to the successful Peugeot 205, the 208 makes a great first impression with its sleek lines and impressively low emission count.

Versatile and practical, the new 208 comes in both three door and five door formats and its comfortable seats make every ride enjoyable. Although it’s around 7cm shorter than the 207, the new 208 actually offers more leg room in the rear and more boot space which makes it ideal for a busy family.

On the roads the new Peugeot 208 does feel slightly unsettled on bumpy motorways and roads, however models with 15 and 16 inch alloys fare quite well and wind, road and engine noise has also been reduced to a minimum. Practicality-wise, the new 208 offers flexible seating and the touchscreen on Active models makes it easy to create a comfortable cabin.

Available with a choice of four petrol engines and two diesel engines, the new 208 is versatile enough to suit any modern driver. Although handling-wise the new 208 delivers, it certainly isn’t something to write home about. While not great for country driving, the handling is good enough for city driving and nipping in and out of the traffic.

In terms of safety, the 208 doesn’t disappoint. All models feature two front airbags, two side air bags, ISOFIX child seat fixings, stability control and cornering brake control. Some 208s also feature Peugeot’s clever Connect SOS and Assistance program which starts when the airbag is deployed and automatically contacts the correct emergency services.