Peugeot has launched its first ever electric GTi with an image of the new car alongside a 40-year-old Peugeot GTi. Not many new car launches would be so brazenly retro. Aren’t EVs bought by forward-looking motorists rather than lovers of the past?
Using an image of its own 205 GTi from the 1980s, Peugeot seems to be trying to revive the concept of a ‘hot hatch,’ a special sporty version of a standard small family hatchback. You don’t hear the phrase much today because there’s a perception that electric power and modern technology have destroyed the need. They’re all darned fast anyway.
Back in the last century, when even some ancient New Atlas writers were hot-blooded young things, a Peugeot GTi 1.9 was one of the stars of that genre. It was cool: a fast, light, affordable mini-rocket that handled beautifully.
Peugeot
A generation later, Peugeot is unveiling its new E-208 GTi at Le Mans, with three showcase models in red, white and blue to emphasize their Frenchness. But have its designers and engineers worked as much on the concept as its marketeers? Let’s look at the new car in detail.
The electric GTi was revealed as a concept at Le Mans last year and this is the finished production-ready version – ready for showrooms. And it seems pretty similar to last year’s concept.
It’s the brand’s first GTi since the hot version of the 308 was retired in 2021. With the benefit of full plug-in electric power, the E-208 GTi is also Peugeot’s most powerful GTi yet. The single front-mounted electric motor creates 278 bhp and a 0-62-mph (100-km/h) time of 5.7sec. Top speed is reported to be 112 mph (180 km/h).
As is the way with global car makers now, this new pokey Pug is built on a common Stellantis group platform. It uses the 280-hp (207-kW) electric motor found in the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima, Afla Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce, Lancia Ypsilon HF plus the upcoming Vauxhall/Opel Corsa GSe. Like them, the E-208 gets a mechanical limited-slip differential to handle the extra power and increase cornering agility.
Peugeot
Nevertheless, the GTi is a significant beefing up of the standard E-208. It has 124 bhp more power and gains sporty handling extras like bespoke hydraulic suspension bump stops, rear anti-roll bar and tuned steering. It looks and handles better by being lowered 1.18 in (30 mm) and widened – by 1.06 in (27 mm) for the rear track and 2.2 in (56 mm) for the front.
The makeover includes a rear spoiler and diffuser, sportier front lip and special 18-inch alloys, vaguely reminiscent of the 205 GTi’s. These are fitted with track-focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber. The new car gets motorsport levels of stopping power too: 355-mm front disc brakes and red four-piston calipers. Inside, the red carpet trim and seat belts are a more recognizable retro touch.
Its 54-kWh battery is reckoned good for up to 217 miles (~350 km) on the WLTP cycle, and the GTi supports up to 100-kW DC rapid charging, allowing a 20% to 80% top-up in approximately 30 minutes.
Official pricing for the Peugeot E-208 GTi hasn’t been announced at the time of writing this but estimates for the UK are between £35,000 and £40,000 (or up to US$53,421 by direct conversion).
Peugeot
So are hot hatches coming back? The Peugeot E-208 GTi is not the first electric GTi. That title was won by Volkswagen, which announced an ID.Polo GTI a few weeks ago.
The Peugeot has a lot more power and is faster though. In fact, among front-wheel-drive electric hatches, the Peugeot E-208 GTi will be the most powerful, out-muscling the Mini JCW Electric and the Alpine A290.
Comparing the E-208 GTi with the original 205, it clearly trades the lightweight agility of its 1,760-lb (800-kg) ancestor for instant torque and a lower center of gravity. It may weigh around double its forefather, but it’s a lot faster. It’s clear Peugeot has positioned the new GTi not just as a styling pack but as a dedicated performance model. It turns out the car was developed with hefty input from Peugeot Sport division as a demonstration that hot-hatch driving excitement can thrive in the electric era.
Yes, speed has become cheap. A standard electric family SUV can match the straight-line pace of a 1990s supercar. But to remain meaningful, a hot-hatch needs to offer a different sensory and mechanical experience. The new E-208 GTi shows a hot hatch can be defined by style, stance and chassis engagement… not just its 0-60 mph time.
Source: Stellantis
