Peugeot 208

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At a glance

Who is the Peugeot 208 for?

Couples whose Kotor trip leans on the old Austrian road — the 208 is the sharpest small hatch in the fleet through the 25 hairpins above the bay.

• Drivers who actually enjoy driving
• Couples
• Lovćen day-trippers

The Peugeot 208 around the Bay of Kotor

Behind the wheel

The current 208 is the Gallic counterpoint to the Polo's Teutonic manners, and you feel it inside the first kilometre. The 1.2 PureTech 100 hp three-cylinder is the version worth having — willing, eager to rev, pleasant paired with a five-speed manual that is short-throw and positive. An eight-speed auto turns up in some stock and suits the engine well. The party trick is the i-Cockpit layout: small low-set wheel, digital instruments read above rather than through it, physical piano keys for climate and radio. Some drivers love it, others never settle; sit in one before committing. On the road the 208 steers quicker than the Polo, rides firmer, and feels honestly smaller despite being near-identical in length.

On Kotor roads

Kotor's mountain road flatters the 208 more than any other small car in the fleet. The 25 hairpins up the old Austrian route to Lovćen reward quick steering and a car that tucks its nose in rather than washing wide; the 208's front axle obeys in a way the softer-sprung rivals cannot match, and there is genuine mid-corner adjustability that disappears from most of the segment. The bay road between Kotor and Perast flows sweetly; the firmer damping that makes broken urban tarmac around Podgorica noisier is the same damping that keeps the body composed through the long curves above Dobrota. Where it is less happy is the motorway push to Dubrovnik — the three-cylinder is audible at 3,500 rpm for long stretches.

Space and load

The 311-litre boot is the smallest among the three French small hatches, and the shape works against you with a high load lip and noticeable wheel-arch intrusion. Two cabin-size cases and a soft weekender fit without stacking; a third medium case requires the load cover out. Hiking kit for two to Lovćen's peak trails — poles, boots, 40-litre packs, shell jackets — goes in with one rear seat folded. Snorkel gear for a day at Žanjice works seats-up. For two travellers packing reasonably it is adequate; for a full family load to Durmitor, you are asking too much of the 208's boot and should move up a size.

Best journeys for this car

The 208 belongs to the driver who actively enjoys driving. Picture the returning visitor on a week-long Kotor base who wants the Lovćen descent to feel like something, the solo traveller carving the Vrmac tunnel exit on a Sunday morning, the couple on a cruise shore excursion who would rather a car with personality than one that disappears. It also suits anyone tired of touchscreen submenus — the i-Cockpit's piano keys give you climate without a glance away from the road. It is wrong for tall drivers who dislike reading instruments over a small wheel, for four-up luggage loads, and for anyone whose priority is the quietest possible motorway cabin.

Practical notes

Real-world economy runs to 5.2 L/100 km, slightly better than the bigger-boot rivals despite near-identical paper figures, and the 44-litre tank delivers close to 800 km in gentle use. Parking is easy at 4.055 m — Tabacina bays treat it as small, and the Dobrota lots take it without drama. Front-wheel drive on all-season rubber handles coastal winter cleanly. Heading to Žabljak or Kolašin between November and March? Chains are legally required on the high passes and genuinely useful in heavy January snow. Summer AC is strong for the class and the digital climate panel responds fast — you notice the difference on a 35°C afternoon outside Podgorica.

The verdict

Pick the 208 if you want a small hatch with actual character under the bonnet and through the wheel. Skip it if you value load space, a conventional cabin, or the quietest possible motorway cruise to the Croatian border.

Inside the car

• i-Cockpit
• Apple CarPlay
• USB Charging
• Rear Parking Sensors