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New Peugeot 108 Active 2019 Review Interior Exterior.
On the whole the 108 drives very well indeed. It does everything you expect it to do and generally does it with a bit of panache thrown in. This is mainly down to the fact it rides well and is comfortable and reasonably well insulated.
In terms of pure dynamics it will hold its own on whatever sort of road you choose to drive it. No, it’s not a thriller and the steering leaves a bit to be desired, but the biggest drawback is perhaps the drivetrain. The 1.0-litre engine is a sweetie, but is saddled with ridiculously long gearing which makes third feel like fifth. The 1.2 isn’t quite so nice to use and has a mushy gearchange. Overall we’d have the 1.0-litre and be prepared to rev it hard.
We were told by a Peugeot insider that the rear seats in the original 108/C1/Aygo were rarely used, so they concentrated on improving boot space. It shows. Rear legroom is properly tight, but the additional boot space is very welcome. The driving environment is simple, but be warned, the much-vaunted touch screen system isn’t as responsive as your phone and the plastics are cheap and scratchy.
Do yourself a favour and don’t spec yours up too much. Despite the chrome grille and fair stab at elegance, this is a cheap car, so buy a cheap version. Maybe add on the rev counter. But some of the other optional trinkets really are a step too far on a car like this oh, and we’d certainly avoid the so-called ‘108 TOP!’ cabrio as it’s not a cabrio at all, just a 108 with a big fabric sunroof. More generally, it’ll cost peanuts to run thanks to excellent fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of 88g/km, pretty fair residuals and cheap insurance.
Performance and 0-62mph time Performance must be taken in context but even though the model we drove is the most powerful option, it isn't all that quick.
Engine and gearbox Only available with three-cylinder engines paired to either a manual or semi-automatic transmission, the 108 reminds us of what cars used to feel like.
Ride and Handling The Peugeot’s featherweight body is at the mercy of its basic core engineering. Ride quality is relatively resolved, handling less so.
MPG and running costs This is where a city car makes a lot of sense; small engines mean big economy, and running costs are correspondingly low.
Interior and tech Playing the minimalist game, the 108 and its relatives all share a pared-back interior brightened up with glossy finishes and bright colour options.
Design Perhaps the most resolved of its chassis-mates, the 108 has a more grown-up appearance compared to the Toyota Aygo and blobby Citroen C1.
The Peugeot 108 starts at just £8,995, pocket change for a new car covered by the security of a warranty and low cost servicing, but start specifying items that should surely be standard equipment in 2017 like air-conditioning and a touchscreen infotainment system and you’ll quickly jump up and over the £10k mark.
The top spec GT-Line car we drove dramatically ups the level of standard equipment, adding a reversing camera, alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, front fog lights, leather seats and automatic climate control amongst others. The GT-Line also gets the more powerful 1.2-litre engine as standard, building on the standard 1-litre engine’s 68bhp to a peak of 81bhp.
The 108’s most obvious rivals are the Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo mentioned previously. These offer very similar specification levels and features to one and other, although the Toyota does without the option of the more powerful 1.2-litre engine.
Peugeot is adamant that the 108 has been developed with a different suspension tune to its relatives, but as with the engine, the bad points aren’t down to poor calibration or set up - it's more a case of compromised core ingredients. The 108 doesn’t do anything different to most of the class, employing quasi-Macpherson front and torsion beam rear suspension set ups, yet seems to lack the polish that VW Group cars have been able to acheive.
The issue is that along with the tall body and tiny wheels the Peugeot suffers from the bouncy ride-quality that is as so often a result of low quality dampers. Secondary ride is surprisingly plush however; we put that down to unfashionably tall tyre sidewalls.
The 108 does feature traction control and ESP stability control but rather than reining-in any playful handling characteristics, it mainly serves to quell the considerable understeer that comes as a result of this car's low grip threshold across the front axle.
If there is one enjoyable asset that the 108 possesses, it’s that you can drive all the way to the limit without breaking the speed limit. Once again, though, we are drawn back to that ever-present VW Up with its extra polish and finesse.
#SDADan
On the whole the 108 drives very well indeed. It does everything you expect it to do and generally does it with a bit of panache thrown in. This is mainly down to the fact it rides well and is comfortable and reasonably well insulated.
In terms of pure dynamics it will hold its own on whatever sort of road you choose to drive it. No, it’s not a thriller and the steering leaves a bit to be desired, but the biggest drawback is perhaps the drivetrain. The 1.0-litre engine is a sweetie, but is saddled with ridiculously long gearing which makes third feel like fifth. The 1.2 isn’t quite so nice to use and has a mushy gearchange. Overall we’d have the 1.0-litre and be prepared to rev it hard.
We were told by a Peugeot insider that the rear seats in the original 108/C1/Aygo were rarely used, so they concentrated on improving boot space. It shows. Rear legroom is properly tight, but the additional boot space is very welcome. The driving environment is simple, but be warned, the much-vaunted touch screen system isn’t as responsive as your phone and the plastics are cheap and scratchy.
Do yourself a favour and don’t spec yours up too much. Despite the chrome grille and fair stab at elegance, this is a cheap car, so buy a cheap version. Maybe add on the rev counter. But some of the other optional trinkets really are a step too far on a car like this oh, and we’d certainly avoid the so-called ‘108 TOP!’ cabrio as it’s not a cabrio at all, just a 108 with a big fabric sunroof. More generally, it’ll cost peanuts to run thanks to excellent fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of 88g/km, pretty fair residuals and cheap insurance.
Performance and 0-62mph time Performance must be taken in context but even though the model we drove is the most powerful option, it isn't all that quick.
Engine and gearbox Only available with three-cylinder engines paired to either a manual or semi-automatic transmission, the 108 reminds us of what cars used to feel like.
Ride and Handling The Peugeot’s featherweight body is at the mercy of its basic core engineering. Ride quality is relatively resolved, handling less so.
MPG and running costs This is where a city car makes a lot of sense; small engines mean big economy, and running costs are correspondingly low.
Interior and tech Playing the minimalist game, the 108 and its relatives all share a pared-back interior brightened up with glossy finishes and bright colour options.
Design Perhaps the most resolved of its chassis-mates, the 108 has a more grown-up appearance compared to the Toyota Aygo and blobby Citroen C1.
The Peugeot 108 starts at just £8,995, pocket change for a new car covered by the security of a warranty and low cost servicing, but start specifying items that should surely be standard equipment in 2017 like air-conditioning and a touchscreen infotainment system and you’ll quickly jump up and over the £10k mark.
The top spec GT-Line car we drove dramatically ups the level of standard equipment, adding a reversing camera, alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, front fog lights, leather seats and automatic climate control amongst others. The GT-Line also gets the more powerful 1.2-litre engine as standard, building on the standard 1-litre engine’s 68bhp to a peak of 81bhp.
The 108’s most obvious rivals are the Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo mentioned previously. These offer very similar specification levels and features to one and other, although the Toyota does without the option of the more powerful 1.2-litre engine.
Peugeot is adamant that the 108 has been developed with a different suspension tune to its relatives, but as with the engine, the bad points aren’t down to poor calibration or set up - it's more a case of compromised core ingredients. The 108 doesn’t do anything different to most of the class, employing quasi-Macpherson front and torsion beam rear suspension set ups, yet seems to lack the polish that VW Group cars have been able to acheive.
The issue is that along with the tall body and tiny wheels the Peugeot suffers from the bouncy ride-quality that is as so often a result of low quality dampers. Secondary ride is surprisingly plush however; we put that down to unfashionably tall tyre sidewalls.
The 108 does feature traction control and ESP stability control but rather than reining-in any playful handling characteristics, it mainly serves to quell the considerable understeer that comes as a result of this car's low grip threshold across the front axle.
If there is one enjoyable asset that the 108 possesses, it’s that you can drive all the way to the limit without breaking the speed limit. Once again, though, we are drawn back to that ever-present VW Up with its extra polish and finesse.
#SDADan