Peugeot 108 (2014 – 2022) Review
Peugeot 108 (2014 – 2022) At A Glance
Peugeot has been a small car expert for decades, and the 108 is the latest in a long line of low-cost offerings that deliver charm beyond their price tag. Designed and built as a joint venture with Citroen and Toyota that resulted in the near-identical C1 and Aygo respectively, the 108 is competing with cars like the Hyundai i10 and SEAT Mii. Cost is generally the prime target at this end of the market, but this second-generation 108 is designed to offer a more refined and grown-up ownership experience whilst retaining the high value approach.
With its sharper looks and some plush options including a retractable fabric roof, the 108 feels like a more grown up car than the 107 it replaced. Quality, refinement and economy are all improved, but the car remains small, cheap to buy and cheap to run. It has all the ingredients to be just as successful as its predecessor – and to compete with rivals like the SEAT Mii, Hyundai i10 and Skoda Citigo.
As before, the underpinnings of the 108 are shared with Citroen and Toyota counterparts. This time around each car has more individual identity and Peugeot has gone for a sophisticated look, as opposed to the Aygo's aggressive ‘crossed’ front or the Citroen C1’s cuteness. The 108 certainly looks more modern and stylish than the old 107.
Early 108 models were available with a choice of two petrol engines, but this has been stripped-back to leave a single 1.0-litre, three-cylinder unit with 72PS. Despite the modest-sounding specification, the little three-pot unit is willing, economical and provides enough performance to make the 108 a usable machine outside of the city.
The key improvements to the 108 over the olf 107 are in refinement and ride quality. It still has that three-cylinder thrum when pushed hard, but in everyday driving it is quiet and comfortable, absorbing all but the worst potholes and bumps impressively well. It’s also capable on the motorway as long as you don’t expect miracles or load it up too heavily.
You can even have fun on a country road – the handling has been sharpened with new shock absorbers and a stiffer anti-roll bar, which means the 108 stays reasonably flat and composed through tight twisting roads.
The steering could be better, but the 108 is nonetheless at home in town. Manoeuvring in narrow streets or in multi-storey car parks is made easier by the light power steering, plus visibility is fairly good thanks to big windows.
The cabin is functional and hardwearing, rather than plush, but it’s attractive enough and if you opt for a higher trim model you’ll get a big, colourful touchscreen system.
It’s not packed with the most advanced features, but is simple enough to use. You can also customise the interior with graphics packs and there’s also a ‘Top’ model, with a retractable fabric roof.
The 108 is a worthy little city car. Not only is it affordable but it looks good and drives well, plus it should prove to be cheap to run. It doesn’t feel quite as modern as the likes of the SEAT Mii and Volkswagen Up, but it isn’t far behind. For those who need cheap, urban transport with a little bit of style it’s the ideal little car.