The long-awaited ancestor to the legendary Peugeot 205 GTi has been unveiled today at Le Mans in the shape of the all-electric E-208 GTi, the French company's first electric hot hatch, the first electric car created by Peugeot Sport and - unless we're mistaken - the very first car from any brand to mix full electrification with the coveted GTi badge.
That is stunning looking...
It really is. Peugeot's designers took inspiration from the 205 GTi in terms of red detailing and a little restraint, but the E-208 GTi looks far more obviously a high-performance car than its great-grandfather ever did. We're ok with that.
First up, the stance is a big part of its appeal. The suspension is lowered a significant 30mm in comparison to the regular Peugeot E-208, while the tracks front and rear have been widened by 56mm and 27mm, respectively.
The wheelarches have been widened to accommodate that - using red striping of course - and within is a tasty bespoke set of 18-inch alloy wheels. You won't miss the “PEUGEOT GTi” emblem in their centres. And a hint at how serious Peugeot took the dynamics of this car is given by the use of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres - 215/40 R18 in size.
There are other bodywork changes aside from the flared arches, including a deeper front apron and a glossy-black aerodynamic diffuser in the rear bumper. There you'll find a dinky new LED fog light.
More red detailing can be found around the Peugeot logos, the front grille, in the LED headlights, under the rear spoiler and on the beefy new front brake calipers. Oh, and there's a special new red paint colour, too.
Has the 208's cabin had a makeover as well?
Of course. Remember the bold, red-carpeted interior of the Peugeot 205 GTi? Well, that style has been reimagined for 2025 in the E-208 GTi and it looks fabulous mixed with the modern layout of the 208's cabin.
Red carpets, special floor mats and red seatbelts are all included, as is a unique three-spoke steering wheel (trimmed in a mix of perforated leather and Alcantara) and buckets seats up front with integrated headrests.
Red stitching can be found on the dashboard as well, while the ambient lighting and graphics on the digital dashboard default to red.
Ok, how fast is the E-208 GTi?
It's pretty feisty. A 280hp electric motor drives the front wheels, also producing up to 345Nm, and Peugeot quotes a 0-100km/h time of just 5.7 seconds. A power-to-weight ratio of 175.4hp/tonne is claimed, incidentally, which means the E-208 GTi weighs just under 1,600kg. Sure, that's considerably more than the sub-900kg of the original 205 GTi, but it's not bad for a new EV.
The lowered centre of gravity and wider tracks should mean the car is planted in the corners, while Peugeot Sport has also tweaked the springs, dampers and rear anti-roll bar. Not to mention the addition of a limited slip differential for the front axle.
There are new hydraulic stops in the suspension, too, while the stability control system gets a Sport setting, the power steering has been recalibrated and those red brake calipers I mentioned are four-piston items clamping 355mm discs up front.
What about the electric side of things?
Energy for the electric motor comes from a CATL-made battery of 54kWh gross capacity, of which 51kWh is usable. Under WLTP conditions it allows the E-208 GTi a range of up to 350 kilometres.
AC charging seems to be limited to 7.4kW, though DC charging at up to 100kW is possible, meaning a 20-80 per cent top-up in less than 30 minutes in theory.
That battery comes with an eight-year/160,000km warranty by the way.
How much will the Peugeot E-208 GTi be in Ireland?
Your guess is as good as ours, really as nothing has yet been announced. The most expensive version of the regular Peugeot E-208, the 156hp GT, is €37,495 before subsidies, so a figure of €50,000 or so doesn't sound outlandish for the E-208 GTi. We'd expect orders to begin before the end of the year for “261” delivery at the start of next year.