Peugeot 108 (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew

First Official Pictures

14 February 2014 07:00

This is the new Peugeot 108 – the replacement for the Peugeot 107 city car. Like its predecessor, the 108 will be sold in Toyota guise as the new Aygo, and be restyled to become the new Citroen C1. All three will make their first appearances at the Geneva motor show in March 2014. Peugeot’s shown its hand first, so let’s take a closer look.

You’ve a choice of four powertrains for the new 108 – the old car only had a single-spec 1.0-litre triple developing 68bhp. It’s all three-pot power this time around too, but top-spec models get a 1.2-litre version with 82bhp. It emits the most CO2 of any new 108: 99g/km.

The other three options are all 1.0-litre triples, good for, once again, 68bhp. Efficiency is up, however. There’s a super-clean 108 emitting 82g/km, a regular one that spits out 95g/km, and a five-speed automatic version that emits 97g/km. Claimed fuel economy should top the outgoing 107’s best of 65.7mpg.

Unlike the new rear-engined, rear-drive Renault Twingo (also due at Geneva) Peugeot is sticking resolutely to a front-engined, front-wheel drive chassis.

Thankfully not. Peugeot claims the most basic 108 (not the sunroof-equipped, alloy-wearing 108 ‘TOP!’ models you’re looking at here) weigh as little as 840kg. That’s a 10kg increase from the most spartan 107. At least there’s been no dimensions overgrowth: the new Peugeot 108 is 40mm longer but 10mm narrower than the 107, and can be specced as a five-door hatchback for an extra £400 over the three-door.

All 108s get six airbags, four seats, and a boot capacity of 196 litres. While that’s up from 137 litres in the 107, it’s far from the biggest in this sector. The three-door VW Up/Skoda Citigo/Seat Mii gang all have 251 litres, and the 252-litre Hyundai i10’s takes the best-in-class medal by a measly single litre.

The new 108’s steering column adjusts for height, also moving the speedometer which is faired onto the column cover. The instrument pod includes a stack of lights to show engine revs, and a gearshift indictor to maximise economy. Though official cabin pictures won’t be revealed until March 2014, we can see a crucial change aboard the 108 versus other Peugeot models…

Spot the steering wheel? It’s a normal size! No miniature steering wheel, and no having to looking over it rather than through it to see the dials. Why the cabin design U-turn? This car has to be sold as a Citroen and a Toyota too, and those guys don’t do the mini-steering wheel gag…

There’ll be a central touchscreen infotainment centre, measuring seven inches across. It’s an option on the basic ‘Active’ models, and standard on every other 108. Its most clever feature is the ability to show an exact replica of your smartphone’s screen, whether you’re an Android or iOS user.

Once the car is moving, it’ll only allow access to apps it deems safe. So, you can use the navigation, play music, and make calls, but playing Angry Birds will have to wait until you’re parked.

‘Claw’-effect rear lights, the chrome glasshouse embellishment and ‘floating’ front grille are cues pinched from the existing Peugeot 208 and 308 hatchbacks, and are all intended to make the new 108 look wider and lower, giving it a squat, taught look.

It’s still a boxy city car, but so was the old one, and that sold in bucketloads. We’ll find out if the 108 can do the same when its UK order books open on 1 July 2014.

Peugeot insiders promise the most basic 108 will cost less than £8500. The exact size of that undercut is unclear, but we expect the entry-level 108 to cost a little more than the 107’s current £8095 base price.

Meanwhile, a 108 fitted with the retractable fabric roof will cost less than £1000 extra over than its hard-top equivalent.

By Ollie Kew