Peugeot 108 Test Drive Review

The third instalment of PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Toyota’s joint city car operation is Peugeot’s 108, joining the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1.

It’s available with a choice of 68hp 1.0 and 82hp 1.2-litre engines, the smaller of which comes with either 88g/km or 95g/km, depending on whether stop-start is specced for an extra £250.

The 1.2-litre engine driven here just scrapes under 100g/km, and the extra power is welcome for those not spending all their time in low-speed urban sprawls. There’s a straightforward split between the 1.0-litre, only offered in the two bottom trim levels of Access and Active, and the 1.2, which only comes in the higher Allure and Feline spec. In fact, the Access model is only a three-door, and exists pretty much solely to provide the low entry price point, and with a £1250 jump from there to the next-cheapest model.

Peugeot wants to attract younger retail buyers that dominate this area of the market, and the personlisation options are wide, while there are options of three-door or five-door and regular or Top models, the latter of which adds a retractable fabric roof for another £850.

The 108 is 40mm longer that its predecessor, helping make the rear seem less cramped for larger occupants, although the compact dimensions remain, making city driving a breeze. An impressive increase in boot size is very welcome, taking the luggage area from the dire 139 litres to a usable 196 litres.

To drive, the 108 is reasonable, without maybe being up with the VW Up/Seat Mii/Skoda Citigo trio of rivals.
The cabin quality is varied, with some nice materials augmented by large amounts of harder plastics.

The well-kitted nature of the 108 in Allure trim isn’t cheap compared with its C1 sibling, which wins on cost per mile, while the 108 also just loses out to a 75hp Seat Mii Sport. But the 108 is a much-improved little city car that while not perfect, is decent enough to be included under consideration.