Peugeot reveals Polo-fighting 208 hatch

PEUGEOT’S next-generation light car – dubbed 208 – will be smaller, lighter and more frugal than the 207 it replaces when European sales commence from early next year.

To be available in both three- and five-door hatchback forms, the 208 takes more than a few stylistic hints from the brand’s new 508 mid-size range and appears much more upmarket than its predecessor.

Peugeot Australia events and promotions manager Kirin Tipping confirmed to GoAuto that the car will go on sale here next year, soon after its local public unveiling at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in October.

Peugeot has lopped up to 173kg from its new city-car compared to its 207 predecessor, with the lightest variant kicking off at just 975kg. The company claims an average weight saving across the range of 110kg.

The new model is seven centimetres shorter than the 207 and 1cm lower, but Peugeot claims clever packaging means it features an extra 5cm of rear knee room and 15 litres more boot space.

The French marque has ditched the 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines in favour of all-new 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre three-cylinder VTi powerplants with claimed fuel economy as low as 4.3 litres per 100km.

There will also be five diesel engine options, with all but one including Peugeot’s e-HDi micro-hybrid system that features fuel-saving measures such as idle-stop.

The company claims fuel consumption as low as a meagre 3.4L/100km, while no oil-burning member of the range will emit carbon dioxide in excess of 99 grams per kilometre – vital for overseas markets with vehicle congestion taxes.

Efficiency gains are assisted by improvements to the vehicle’s aerodynamics, with the 208 achieving a rating of just 0.29Cd.

The new model’s green theme carries over to the manufacturing process, with Peugeot claiming that 25 per cent of the vehicle’s polymers will be sourced from recycled or natural materials.

The car-maker claims the rear bumper alone will save 1600 tonnes of fuel per year from the manufacturing process.

The interior looks to be a substantial step-up from the current model in terms of ergonomics, with the infotainment display and instruments mounted high.

Expect an array of soft-touch surfaces on contact points across the dashboard and doors as well as the use of glossy piano black inserts on the instrument fascia.

Flagship models will come with a touch-screen infotainment system.

Pricing in Australia currently kicks of at $18,990 for the 207 range, so considering Peugeot’s lofty sales ambitions here plus strong exchange rates expect 208 pricing to be about the same or even slightly lower.

The brand announced in July its ambitious plan to boost Australian sales by 70 per cent by 2014.

It has a number of new products in the pipeline, including the 3008 Hybrid4 crossover wagon, the high-riding 508 RXH Hybrid4 wagon and the Mitsubishi ASX-based 4008 compact SUV.