Peugeot 208 may only run on electricity in Australia

Going out for a new one peugeot 208 in Australia? Don’t hold your breath, unless you’re ready to use electricity.

Rivals of the French brand Volkswagen Polo has not been available Down Under since the new generation went on sale globally in 2019, and Peugeot’s local chief executive said the Australian branch is unlikely to bring it back – except electric e-208.

“We always posit that the ideal scenario [for us] is the e-208,” says Kate Gillis, MD of Peugeot Citroen Australia.

“When we talk about [petrol] 208, it is not a consideration for our market. It’s something we’ve looked at and say it doesn’t look like the right move.”

“If we’re going to move into that smaller segment, we’re going to do it with something pretty impactful. We can see that even from a foreign perspective; The success of the 208 depends a lot on the electrified version,” continued Ms. Gillis.

“We’re making sure we’re giving the best range we can and we feel the e-208 is the right step in that space.”

As recently reported, e-208 (and larger e-2008) appears to be on track to launch in 2023 in Australia alongside an electric van, although final details and more specific timing are yet to be confirmed.

In overseas markets, the Peugeot 208 is available with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine alongside the 115kW e-208 EV.

The 1.2-litre PureTech turbocharged petrol engine is offered in 75, 100 and 130 hp (56kW, 74kW and 96kW) capacities, while the 1.5-litre BlueHDi turbocharged diesel engine is offered with an output of only 100 horsepower (96kW). A six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic are available depending on the engine variant.

In the UK, the e-208 claims a premium of around £7000 ($12,668) over the high-spec 1.2-litre 96kW petrol engine with an eight-speed automatic – the same powertrain provided in the latest version peugeot 308.

Meanwhile, an upgraded e-208 has been confirmed for Europe with a new, more efficient engine 51kWh (48.1 kWh available) 400V battery pack and one new battery pack 115kW/260Nm electric motor (up 15kW).

Peugeot says it’s aiming for an average energy consumption of “about 12kWh per 100km” compared to the larger e-308’s impressive 12.7kWh claim. Such improved efficiency should help the e-208 achieve “up to 400 km” in the WLTP cycle, although official certification is still in progress. The e-208’s previous range claim was 362 km.

Peugeot has improved the e-208 by the end of 2021, increasing the range by 22km compared to the original version launched in 2019 through heat pumps and humidity sensors that increase the efficiency of the HVAC system, new tire compounds for 16-inch alloy wheels to minimize rolling resistance, as well as a revised ratio for the electric motor’s transmission “which increases range on road and highway”.

Furthermore, the company claims that the upgraded heat pump and sensors have increased the real-world range by 4km “in urban traffic in temperatures near zero degrees Celsius”.

The e-208 has been a sales success for the brand in various parts of Europe, itself one of the most popular models in the region – the 208 is the best-selling new vehicle in Europe and the UK in October 2022 with over 17,000 sales.

Peugeot says nearly 110,000 e-208 vehicles have been produced since it was launched in 2019 and it is the best-selling electric vehicle across all segments in its home market of France.

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