Peugeot 208 (2012) first official pictures

This new Peugeot 208 will replace the 207 in 2012. These first official photos of the 208, issued today, reveal a compact supermini which aims to put Peugeot back on the mini map.

The 208 will be sold as a three- or five-door - for now - although we'd expect a variety of spin-offs will follow, most likely including a 208 CC folding hard-top and an SW estate.

Indeed we can. New design chief Gilles Vidal has always been adamant that the new styling direction espoused by the SR1 concept car in early 2010 would rapidly inform production Peugeots.

We've already seen the 508 replete with a slimmer aesthetic, and the new 208 shows the new wardrobe can be shrunk to the supermini sector. Note the scalloped flanks, the more playful surfacing and the rippling Pug lion badge.

There's a distinctive character line to the 208's flanks, arcing up from a Vauxhall-inspired tick on the front door and bleeding into an exaggerated kink in the boomerang rear lights.

CAR's seen the new Peugeot 208 in the metal and can confirm it's a good-looking hatch: svelte, compact in character and even better looking than in these first photos.

That'll be the latest iteration of the PSA group PF1 platform, given a considerable working over for this application.

Continuing the good work done by the Mazda 2 et al, the new 208 is significantly smaller than the 207 it replaces. We hear a good 70mm has been snipped from the length (it's 10mm lower too) and, best of all, the 208 weighs on average 110kg less than before.

This weight loss will reap dividends at the pump and in the corners. The 208 weighs from just 975kg.

So that means less heft for the suite of new three-cylinder petrol engines to lug around. The 68bhp 1.0-litre triple emits 99g/km, and Continental buyers can pick from a trio of diesels mustering 70, 90 and 110bhp. Every derv is sub-100g/km too.

By Tim Pollard