Peugeot beats Volkswagen to the punch with new E-208 GTI electric hot hatch

For a few years now, Volkswagen has teased the world with the promise of an electric GTI, a battery-powered heir to its legendary hot hatch throne. But while the German auto giant was busy making promises, its French rival, Peugeot, was busy building.

In a surprise move at the Le Mans 24 Hours race, Peugeot pulled the covers off the all-new E-208 GTI, officially becoming the first of the two historic rivals to bring the iconic three-letter badge into the era of electric cars.

For a compact car, the Peugeot E-208 GTI packs a serious punch. A single electric motor drives the front wheels, delivering 280 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque. These figures translate into blistering acceleration, with the electric car launching from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.7 seconds, making the E-208 GTI the fastest-accelerating GTI model in Peugeot’s history. While Peugeot has hinted that a gas-powered version might follow, for now, the performance crown belongs to this new electric model.

The world of small, sporty electric cars is getting crowded, and the E-208 GTI faces stiff competition. There’s the new electric Mini Cooper JCW, but the Peugeot is a second quicker to 62 mph. The E-208 GTI is also built on the same Stellantis e-CMP platform as its cousins, the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, yet it manages to be slightly quicker than both.

Of course, performance in an EV is only half the story. The Peugeot E-208 GTI comes with a 54 kWh battery pack, which the company claims is good for a range of up to 217 miles on a single charge. When it’s time to plug in, Peugeot says the battery can be replenished from 20 to 80 percent in under 30 minutes. The E-208 GTI also comes standard with a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) feature, allowing it to function as a mobile power source for external devices.

Peugeot’s designers clearly looked to the past for inspiration, loading the E-208 GTI with design cues that honor the legendary 205 GTI from the 1980s. The car has a more aggressive and planted look, thanks to a suspension that has been lowered by 1.18 inches and a track that is wider by 2.2 inches at the front and 1.06 inches at the rear. The 18-inch wheels feature a multi-hole design that directly references the wheels on the classic 205 GTI 1.9. The four-piston brake calipers, which clamp down on 355-mm rotors, are finished in red, and there are a few red accents on the grille and headlights.

The nostalgic theme continues inside the cabin. Drivers are greeted by red ambient lighting, red seatbelts, and red stitching on the dashboard and sports seats. The seats themselves feature a central red stripe, another nod to the 205 GTI 1.9, while a mesh-effect pattern on the fabric pays homage to the 1.6 version of the classic model.

Peugeot has focused on a sporty driving experience by upgrading the suspension, adding a new rear anti-roll bar, and fitting track-focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Set to go on sale later this year with an estimated price of around $46,600, the Peugeot E-208 GTI certainly has the looks and the power, but it no longer is the affordable GTI of the yesteryears.

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