Peugeot GTi is back! Is this 208 the hot hatch’s saviour?
Peugeot’s revered GTi badge has returned to appear on its first electric performance car, a hot hatch based on the e-208 that is aimed squarely at compatriot Alpine’s A290.
Its launch at last week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans marks the return of one of the most evocative badges in performance motoring, after the 308 GTi went off sale in 2021. It is also the first hot Peugeot since the 508 PSE was axed in late 2024.
Developed by Peugeot Sport and inspired by the widely admired 205 GTi, the new car represents a dramatic overhaul of the city-focused e-208.
The key to the package is a motor transplant from the 208’s larger cousin, the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. Mounted up front and paired with a mechanical limited-slip differential, it puts out 208kW (278hp) and 345Nm (254lb ft) – a substantial increase on the power of the regular 115kW (154hp) e-208.
These reserves slingshot the 1596kg hatchback to 100km/h (62mph) in 5.7sec – 0.2sec quicker than the 255hp Mini John Cooper Works Electric and 0.7sec ahead of the 217hp Alpine A290 GT Performance. Its top speed is claimed to be 180km/h (112mph).
Alongside that extra pace, it is fitted with hydraulic bump-stops and a rear anti-roll bar. The steering is also said to have been tuned for more direct responses.
The new GTi gains a look that matches its performance billing. The hot hatch is 30mm lower than the standard car and the tracks have been widened by 56mm at the front and 27mm at the rear to create a muscular stance.
Changes compared to the standard e-208 include a front lip, a new rear spoiler and a chunky rear diffuser – which has a motorsport-inspired integrated rear fog light.
What’s more, it gets bold 18in alloys that are inspired by those fitted to the later 1.9-litre 205 GTi and wear the original GTi typeface. These are shod with track-focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres; sited behind them up front are a set of 355mm brake discs.
The fitment of such large wheels with the GTi’s low-set stance has required wheel-arch extensions, marked out with bright red stripes that match the body’s paintwork.
The 205 references continue inside the e-208 GTi: the bucket seats are split between red and black panels, and the floor mats are trimmed in red too. Elsewhere, it's the same cabin as the standard e-208 but with Alcantara added to the seats and steering wheel.
Modifications have also been made to the e-208 GTi’s battery performance. While the 54kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt pack is the same as the standard car’s, Peugeot said it has adapted the software using developments from its hybrid-powered 9X8 endurance racer to reduce temperatures under high loads and improve energy recovery.
The pack yields a range of 350km (217 miles) between charges and can be replenished from 20-80% in less than 30 minutes on a 100kW DC connection.
“The new Peugeot e-208 GTi embodies our commitment to performance and innovation, drawing from our extensive race pedigree,” said Jean-Marc Finot, senior vice-president of Stellantis’s motorsport operations.
Finot, previously an engineer involved in the development of the original 205 GTi as well as the later 206 GTi 180, added that the new car will possess “the typical Peugeot GTi agility and steering feeling”.
While the GTi badge returns first on an electric model, new hot combustion Peugeots have not been ruled out – but Peugeot CEO Alain Favey previously told Autocar that any decision would depend on customer feedback. “We will start with the e-208 and [are] definitely listening to your inputs, or what our customers will say as well,” he said. “We don't exclude that there might be other executions of the 208 GTi under the GTi badge, but for today there's absolutely nothing planned in that sense."
Continue for more red-hot pictures of the new 208 GTi.
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