Driven - Peugeot 108 Allure 1.2

Colin Hubbard reviews the Peugeot 108 Allure

The Peugeot 108 is the second generation of the city car jointly developed by Peugeot, Citroen and Toyota.  The 108, C1 and Aygo are produced by the same factory in the Czech republic.

It's a small, safe, quality car designed for 4 occupants in a tiny package - kind of like the original Mini in concept but with increased height for better packaging.

They share approximately 70% of their components including bodyshell, gearboxes and engines with each other but each model has its own spec, look and trim.

All are available in 3 or 5 door and the 108 has a choice of naturally aspirated 1.0 or 1.2 three cylinder, petrol engines.

The test car was fitted with the larger of the 2 engines - a 1.2 with 82bhp and a useful 86lb/ft torque - and has a 5 speed manual gearbox. The new range of 3-cylinder ‘Pure Tech’ engines are made from aluminium to save weight but are fitted with cast iron cylinder liners for longevity and feature a raft of fuel saving features.

Spec levels start at Access followed by Active then Allure and finally Feline.

The test car came in Allure spec which has many bells and whistles for such a small car and includes but a reversing camera, bluetooth phone connection and music streaming, keyless entry and start, large touchscreen DAB radio along with the usual, but maybe not standard on supermini, electric windows, electric mirrors, air conditioning, rev counter, LED daytime running lights and tyre pressure sensors.

The whole idea behind city cars is motoring on a budget and the 108 puts a tick in this box as even with the largest available engine fitted the CO2 rating is 99 g/km, meaning free road tax, and the combined fuel consumption figure is 65.7mpg. Insurance is group 11E.

In addition to cheap running costs superminis also need agility to manoeuvre around town and park easily. Again the 108 fulfils this role due to its tiny dimensions and light steering.

The packaging is pure genius and every inch of available space has been utilised by something or other. By designing the car around small, three cylinder engines there is no wasted space in the engine bay and so overall length is as short as it possibly can be.

At the front there is a small overhang, just enough to satisfy pedestrian impact and crash tests but also to retain a small overall dimension so it is easily visible to aid parking and manoeuvring in confined spaces.

The 3 door model has quite long doors to aid rear access. They open in staged notches so can be opened in several varying degrees when exiting without fear of knocking the car next to you.

At the rear there is no tailgate to speak of but instead a hinged glass rear screen with integral wiper. This works well in daily use although the small aperture means there is a high boot lip impeding access for getting heavy shopping in.

Styling wise Peugeot has followed Mini in its customisation program. The 108's main visual option is a two tone paint job as seen here in Purple Berry and Zircon Grey.

Lots of other customising kits are available from mirror covers to transfer kits and the theme spreads through to the interior and even the key fob.

The interior packing is where most of the ingenuity lies.

The front seat sits fairly high so the driving position is a little more upright which means rear passengers feet can fit under the front seats comfortably. This also aids visibility when manoeuvring around and especially so when parking. In the front there is plenty of headroom, I am 5'9 and there were a good 4 inches clear above my head so whilst the car is small you don't feel claustrophobic on the inside.

The sports style seats have fairly squashy side supports but are comfortable nevertheless. Leather seat facings are an £650 option.

Rear seat passengers also have good headroom unless they lean backwards intentionally and then the headlining can just be felt. There is only space and belts for 2 in the back so this is a strict 4 seater which meant the car could be designed narrower than 5 seaters which again saves weight and helps drive through tighter gaps.

Whilst on trial I tested out the real world usability of the cabin with a trip to the pub with 3 friends, one of whom is 6'3 and the others 5'10 and everyone had sufficient space to be comfortable. Quite some achievement for such a tiny car.

The boot appeared tiny at first due to the high lip but look further and it is deceptively deep which swallows quite a lot of luggage, certainly enough space for a families weekly shop. Lift the boot carpet and amazingly they have squeezed in a spacesaver spare wheel and tyre under there although this is only standard on Allure and above.

The engine is started with a stop/start button on the centre console and kicks into life with a kind of electrical whirr style noise. As the motor warms and the revs settle the sound softens to a gentle murmur.

Oddly the steering column only adjusts for rake and takes the instruments with it which makes the motion feel heavy but as I only needed to adjust it once this was no issue. This does also mean that the position of the clocks is spot on. There is a large central speedo with the fuel level and trip computer functions in the centre and a vertical digital rev counter off to the left.

The driving position once set is actually pretty good, the wheel could do with coming toward me a little but overall it is comfortable with everything to hand.

All the controls are light, the steering particularly so with easy slow speed manoeuvring meaning quick turns into a parking space are done with ease. There is a self centring action at higher speeds and a more positive motion as it weights up over 40mph.

When on the go the engine is a little belter. Yes it does need revving due to its modest power output and you need to be in the correct gear to keep things moving along nicely but when you do so it is very enjoyable. At higher revs the little three-pot sounds thrummy and toward the red line quite harsh but the odd number of cylinders provides real character in terms of both torque and sound.

The flywheel is offset to balance vibrations from the odd number of cylinders but the buzzy, unbalanced nature is still felt which I liked and made me change up higher up the rev range than I normally would. It is certainly more entertaining than a four pot.

The gearbox is a sweet five speed unit and has a tall and circular gear knob that makes changing gear fun with a positive shift action. Just five gears is enough for the little motor which red-lines at just over 6,000rpm and at 70 mph it is ticking along nicely at just over 2,500 revs.

The clutch has the usual small Peugeot annoyance of being hinged from the left so your left foot fouls the pedal arm when stepping on the clutch pedal from the rest position.

The chassis engineers have got their way over the designers and this 108 wears little 165/60/15 tyres so the suspension only has a small amount of unsprung weight at each corner. Some fairly elastic feeling damping and long travel suspension keeps each wheel firmly on the ground so it can be chucked around with confidence yet also has a surprisingly supple ride quality. It does help that you are doing lower speeds than you would in a larger car but that is part of the appeal as 'normal' trips out can turn out to be rather enjoyable due to the provocative nature of the fizzy engine and engaging, fun chassis.

The brakes are capable with strong positive action from the servo, even four-up they still felt confidence inspiring. Fully loaded with people the performance, however, is dulled as the power to weight ratio is seriously reduced but it's safe and acceptable for one-off trips. The handling is also affected with more bodies on board with more pronounced understeer but again nothing scary.

The rear three quarter view on the 3-door 108 is pretty terrible. If you are on the motorway in lanes two or three and want to move a lane to the left the view over your left shoulder is mostly the tall front passenger seat but also the very wide C pillar. Instead you have to alter your driving style to rely on the large mirrors and plan ahead.

This doesn’t affect parking so much as the test car was fitted with a parking camera as standard, which is viewed on the large central screen. When reverse is selected the camera kicks in to provide a clear rear view and guides you into parking spots with a set of side lines. This negates the need for parking sensors and proved to be more intuitive - being able to see rather than hear if you are about to hit something.

The rest of the tech was also up to scratch with a quality 4 speaker sound system controlled by the 7 inch touchscreen display and wheel mounted controls. This plays either DAB radio or music from your own device via Bluetooth, USB or headphone jack and both inputs worked a treat with excellent quality sound.

It seems strange at first having no CD player but many people now have an iPod or its equivalent so why pay for a CD player that may not get used? Very forward thinking for Peugeot but also disappointing if you haven’t got a music device as a CD player can’t even be optioned.

Another oddity is the lack of satnav. It's only available as an option in the form of a Tom Tom that you stick on the windscreen. This gets a thumbs up from me as I have nothing but praise for the most intuitive and accurately mapped navigation tool on the market but for some the lack of integration could be a turn off.

Tested over a week at freezing temperatures and left outside at night the heater proved to be quick to warm the cabin and then provided a toasty source of heat when on my way.

The interior is filled with little cubby holes, cup holders and bottle holders and real thought has gone into clever use of the available space. There must have been a small void available behind the glovebox as it has been opened out so a 1 litre bottle can be inserted lengthways into it and kept a little cooler than within the cabin on a hot day. Little features like this make it easier to live with and more pleasant to own.

As tested this 108 Allure was just over £12,500 which is good value considering it is near the top of the range and has a huge specification. If you fancy a little wind in your hair motoring the 108 ‘TOP!’ Is available with a fully electric folding fabric roof and is available on most specs for an extra £1,000.

As a whole the 108 is a well-made, superbly packaged little car with a fun chassis and bubbly engine meaning low cost motoring doesn’t have to be low fun motoring.

If you are in the market for a small city car I heartily recommend a test drive in the little Peugeot 108.

Stats

Price - £11,095
Engine - 1.2 litre, inline-3, petrol
Transmission - 5-speed manual
Drive - front wheel drive
0-62mph - 11 seconds
Top speed - 106 mph
Power - 82 bhp
Torque - 86 lb ft
Economy - 65.7mpg (combined)
CO2 - 99 g/km (zero road tax)
Kerb weight - 865 kg

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Driven - Peugeot RCZ R

Colin Hubbard reviews the Peugeot RCZ R

Peugeot has bragging rights to one of the finest hot hatches ever made, the 205 GTI. Blessed with pretty looks, a chassis brimming with feedback and perky little power plants it was a brilliant little car and a halo for the rest of the range.

Since the 205 went out of production Peugeot lost its way for the spirited motorist and only recently started to regain its mojo in the form of the 208 GTI which is real corker.

Now they have just launched their fastest ever production car with a surprisingly small engine - just 1.6 litres and 4 cylinders.

Welcome to the RCZ R. Based vaguely on the RCZ Coupé, Peugeot Sport has absolutely gone to town to ensure that the car is a genuinely capable and thoroughly enjoyable drive - ignoring the accountants every step of the way.

The engine is a development of the 1.6 found in other cooking Peugeots but it has been treated to some fairly serious upgrades to not only boost power but also retain long term reliability.

The engine block is heat treated and reworked for improved circulation and cooling and the standard pistons replaced with high performance Mahle Motorsport items. Uprated con rods and bearing shells with a polymer coating withstand high pressures and operating speeds so the 170bhp per litre is safely within limits.

A twin scroll turbo has been fitted so that it provides strong power from lower revs and at higher revs provides very high boost levels.

A sports exhaust with twin round outlets finishes off the power element and should provide the voice the standard car cries out for.

The result is a power output of 270bhp along with 243lb/ft torque but the more astonishing figures are the combined fuel economy of nearly 45mpg and the CO2 rating of 145 g/km. By making the modest sized engine work harder they have made it more efficient so it's cleaner and more fuel efficient than the standard 1.6 turbo engines in the range.

Power is laid down by the front wheels via a crisp, 6 speed manual gearbox and forward motion balanced by a Torsen mechanical limited slip differential.

The chassis has been lowered by 10mm on shorter, uprated springs with more aggressive damper settings and, unique to the R, 19" lightweight alloys which were designed to channel cool air to the brakes.

This has not just been a quick lower and harden exercise, many man hours have gone into the development of the R's chassis - tweaking and fine tuning bushes, roll bars, dampers, springs and suspension arms until the desired set up was achieved.

From the driving seat it is obvious this has been honed on a racetrack and engineering to the nth degree. This has massively increased wheel control over the standard RCZ so it feels much more solid and accurate through the steering wheel.

Braking has been heavily uprated with 380mm diameter and 32mm wide front floating discs which ride on aluminium pins. These are clamped by 4 piston calipers which look purposeful behind the alloys.

On the outside Peugeot didn't really need to do much as the fabulous RCZ shape remains, instead they have tailored the look so you can see where your £32k has gone.

The main external change is a fixed rear spoiler increasing downforce and stability at speed. The roof 'arches' are finished in matt black and the Nera Black paint scheme on the test car extenuates the double bubble effect from the roof down to the fixed rear back windscreen.

The R is also available in Opal White, Pearl White, Mercury Grey, Moroccan Red and Charcoal.

There are other subtle little touches like red Peugeot lettering on the grill and titanium tinted headlights which all combine to create one of the best looking cars in its class.

On the inside and it's the seats which first get your attention. Seriously supportive and perfectly comfortable they look like they have just been lifted straight out of a Lamborghini. I drove 428 miles in one day on a combination of motorways, fast A roads and hideous B roads and at the end of the day got out of the car feeling ache free.

Both the front and rear seats are trimmed in Alcantara and leather. They've been cleverly designed to provide grip in the right places so you can move around to reach within the cabin but come to a corner and they grip you in the right places.

The steering wheel is slightly fatter than the standard RCZ's which is a good thing as it provides just the right grip to hold onto when all 270bhp through the front wheels start to beg for your attention.

As per the base RCZ the leather trimmed dash and door cards bring an upmarket air to the cabin but here there's red stitching on black leather which is a great looking combo. Add in an almost erotic 208 GTI polished alloy and red trimmed gear knob, carbon style trim to the dials and piano black dash trim and it's a pretty special place to be.

This car is fitted with a banging JBL speaker system which is a £420 option but well worth the paying for as the sound is great and in keeping with the head banging chassis.

The only let downs on the inside are a sat nav which won't take UK postcodes and a clutch pedal which is set too far high and too left so you sometimes fumble to get onto the clutch if wearing boots.

On the road the RCZ is an absolute joy to drive, a proper driver's car that ticks all the boxes a spirited driver would want.

Considering the engine is fitted with a sports exhaust it sounds almost weedy at tickover, even at 2,000 revs it's surprisingly quiet but as the revs increase the gruffness deepens then hardens and sounds like a proper sports car.

The chassis works brilliantly on twisty B roads - make no mistake it is a firm ride but not at all crashy, almost elastic in feel and it quickly inspires confidence to push harder. Peugeot's plan to use a small,  tuned, light-weight 1.6 engine makes for a chassis which is finely balance front to rear providing little understeer and which flows nicely through meandering corners. Not once in a week's driving did I feel out of my comfort zone, it just turns in to a corner, grips and flies out of the corner.

The tyres are enormous for the size of the car, at 235/40/19, but the suspension coped really well. Some over-tyred cars suffer when hitting undulations and quick direction changes but the R's lightweight alloys and thicker roll bars keep them in check.

From a standing start it does suffer from torque steer at higher boost levels but it adds to the enjoyment of the drive, I wouldn't say it is anything to worry about unlike my old 250bhp Astra Coupé which would go seeking hedges but it is felt nevertheless. Just a small tugging motion is experienced through the wheel as the front wheels fight for grip but the LSD manages to keep the R in a straight line and without lighting up the tyres in the process.

Once up to speed all is good, all is secure and it's proves to be a very quick, enjoyable car. Overtakes are handled quickly and efficiently helped loads by a sweet manual gearbox with well picked ratios so YOU choose which gear you need, wait, wait and then go for it safely past said car or two.

The race-spec motor likes to rev all the way to six and a half thousand revs then change up and it drops nicely into the sweet spot with the sports exhaust acting almost like an aural rev counter. The engine really is a cracking unit, almost docile at low revs using part throttle but wind it up and it goes all banzai on you. Just brilliant.

Knowing what has been done to achieve these power levels is good to know so you can feel confident that it won't self destruct within a few thousand miles - this is a proper job just like the rest of the chassis.

After a week, in fact after a day, I absolutely loved the RCZ R. The overall package has been thoroughly engineered and fine tuned to create a proper sports coupé with no single area being skimped on. Yes, £32,000 is a lot of money but will be worth it for the rarity factor which may help retain the resale values, but also in that it is a seriously good car and very different to the competition out there.

The Peugeot Sport team has done an excellent job and thoroughly regained Peugeot's mojo to 1980's levels so once again Peugeot has a halo car for the range.

If you are looking for a fast accomplished classy coupé then look no further, the RCZ R is an absolute hoot.

Stats

Price - £32,000
As tested £33,180
Engine - 1.6 turbocharged, petrol
Transmission - 6-speed manual
Drive - front wheel drive
0-62mph - 5.9 seconds
Top speed - 155mph
Power - 270 bhp
Torque - 243 lb ft
Economy - 44.8mpg (combined)
CO2 - 145 g/km
Kerb weight - 1,355 kg

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Peugeot RCZ R - First Drive Review - Road Trip!

Colin Hubbard has a Peugeot RCZ R for a week. Here's his first drive review combined with a long day's road trip.

Peugeot RCZ R

I had some work commitments in far away places that I'd been putting off for too long, and also a new car to purchase for my wife. With a Peugeot RCZ R due to be delivered I decided to combine all of these things into one long day. A road trip was born.

I left the house at 06:00 and made my way in the dark and wet to the RCZ R that had been delivered the day before. I hadn't yet seen it in daylight and despite having a RCZ a few months back it takes time to familiarise yourself with the controls, functions and positioning.

I sat myself in the heavily bolstered driver's seat and dropped my bag on the passenger seat.

My thermos coffee cup sat nicely in the single cupholder between the seats and I located my TomTom on the right of the windscreen. The RCZ has a built in satnav but it won't take UK postcodes and I hate getting lost. I programmed the TomTom to take me to my first appointment which was a paper storage depot in Northampton, some 120 miles away.

The engine starts with a key which is fine by me and turns over with a slightly gruffer engine tone than the normal models. It's deadly quiet compared to my TT V6, which was no doubt appreciated by my family and neighbours on this early morning.

I depressed the clutch and noticed how light it is, considering it's a heavy duty item to cope with 270bhp from the little 1.6 turbo 4 pot. Select 1st from a rather smooth alloy gear knob and head out from my drive onto the local A-roads, noticing the ride is surprisingly choppy which makes me think this is going to be a very long day.

After 10 minutes I was on the M6 heading south and the ride calmed as the road quality improved and direction straightens. I got up to motorway speeds and settled to a steady cruising speed, dodging lorries and lane 2 hogging cars.

The hard ride comes into its own on the motorway as it feels like a go-kart in that you move the wheel and there's no slop in the bushes or damping so the car moves in correlation with the wheel to the nth degree. A soft push is felt on the opposite Alcantara shoulder bolster to direction change as you move lane.

6th gear is well suited to motorway speeds so at 70mph the engine is spinning at 2,800rpm, which is calm, yet there's also good pull from this rev level. I couldn't recall how to set the cruise control so that will have to wait for daylight.

Sometime later I switched from the M6 onto the M1 for a short hop to Northampton. As I had plenty of time I stopped off at Rothersthorpe Services for my road trip treat of a McDonalds breakfast. As I turned on full lock into a parking space the limited slip differential groaned as it tried to push both front wheels at equal-ish speeds.

After a soggy sausage bagel, lovely hash brown and well needed coffee I headed back to the car. I found a Mk1 Audi TT had parked next to me and it's obvious to me the TT's looks were a heavy influence in the RCZ's design inspiration, although the RCZ is so much bigger than the TT. Both great looking cars!

15 minutes later and I parked up at Howard Smith Paper for a meeting over the decommissioning of my client's mobile phone installation on the roof of its building.

After 2 hours spent looking at the installation from the inside of the building I head back to the car park and soak in the details of the RCZ in proper daylight. It is a fabulous looking car, the R gets unique alloys (which help to cool the uprated brakes), a fixed rear spoiler and matt black roof arches which differentiate it from the already good looking RCZ.

On the inside the seats are a work of art and wouldn't look out of place in a Lamborghini. The gear knob is carried over from the 208 GTI, has 3 different colours and is a joy to stir the gears with as it is smooth and nicely shaped.

Next, I'm off to Coventry to look at an 'immaculate' Audi A6 Avant in Ibis White to replace our now sold BMW 320d.

The sat nav took me on the A45 towards Coventry which is littered with 50mph limits and speed cameras so I took the time to figure out the cruise control. It is operated from a lower left stalk and, once armed, speed is adjusted via two buttons on the same stalk. 

The speed is shown in a digital display between the clocks and you can alter the it by 1mph at a time. I set it to 53mph which, according to the satellite calculated speed from my TomTom, is exactly 50mph.

When in Coventry the hard damping revels in the turns and twist of the side roads and I found it perfectly acceptable for my own taste.

The A6 is parked on a rough street and as I walked up to it I saw the first mark on the rear wheel arch. As I walked around I saw more marks and think about walking away - but decide to wait for the trader to turn up. 10 minutes later he arrives, we chat, I ask if he has both keys, the reply is no but the previous owner said he will send them on if he finds them. Yeah yeah.

I also ask where the immaculate Audi is as this clearly isn't immaculate and, as I point out the half dozen marks on the body, the trader remarks, "ooh I didn't notice that," and, "that wasn't there this morning," and as there's no movement in the price I walk away without even opening a door never mind going for a test drive.

Now off to Boston which will be a pain in the arse as the route is diagonal across the country on some tiny roads which will no doubt be littered with HGV's on their journeys to the middle of nowhere.

Just before I set off I connected my phone to the Peugeot's Bluetooth system - this is done simply and quickly and is a lesson to other manufacturers. I set off and call the wife to update her on the car situation, the call is clear and easily made but you do have to stretch out to press the buttons on the infotainment system which is annoying. The problem is the upper centre console rakes back towards the windscreen so while the heater controls can be reached easily you have to stretch to be able to touch the hi-fi and phone controls.

As I passed Leicester if find my assumption on the nightmare journey is totally wrong, it turns out that the A52 is actually a brilliant road and fabulous fun in the zingy, curvy Peugeot. The mix of high power and high torque (243lb/ft) with a lightweight 4 pot motor and mechanical LSD means progress is fast and steady.

The scatterings of tractors and doddering Landrovers were simply annihilated with a good dose of right foot and it stepped back in quickly and safely afterwards. The wheel control in the R is much, much better than the other models, no doubt helped by the lighter alloys but also the stiffened suspension and bracing.

The handling has been tuned by Peugeot Sport and they have done a damn fine job. The RCZ R is 10mm lower than the rest of the range and whilst hard it is very accurate and stable so the car can be placed inch perfect without being thrown off line by potholes. Compared with a well damped German car the French car's damping is almost elastic in feel rather than fluid, I suspect down to the hard bushing and tight damping. 

I would go so far as to say that it's on par with the front wheel drive hot hatch king, the Megane 265 Cup and only a back to back test would reveal which is the better car.

When I get to my destination in Boston to view a 520d Touring the private drive to the trader's house is littered with deep potholes which are a potential challenge to the hard ride and low body height. I needn't have worried as there was no awkward scratching noises nor crashing through the wheel when the Goodyear Eagle F1s suddenly hit the other side of a pothole.

When I see the Le Mans blue Beemer it looks great but needed to be jump started by the trader as a seized rear wiper meant that the rear screen wouldn't close so the interior light stayed on, which then drained the battery. 

A brief drive reveals it as a large, heavy car which is kind of what I expected but also a little prehistoric in terms of feel - yet it was only 5 years old. It was a genuine enough car with a full BMW service history and 2 keys but the missing sat nav disc, missing floor mats, seized wiper and the traders refusal to budge on the price meant I didn't leave a deposit. My intention was to think about it overnight but the final straw of no heated seats meant I'm still looking for a new car.

My last stop en route was in Messingham, just outside Scunthorpe, which was some 60 miles away and the same mix of roads as the journey to Boston.

The roads turn slightly different as I headed north - straighter and more open with long reaching views which offer great overtaking potential and the R didn't fail to impress again, surprising a BMW driver, which is always nice.

There's no escaping torque steer in a 270bhp front wheel drive car, the forward pulling motion is exaggerated with higher power but the mechanical limited slip diff does a great job of balancing traction to either front wheel. Physics are still there and it does pull increasingly at higher revs where most of the power is. You have to hold the wheel tight during full bore acceleration but luckily the steering is light and direct so any compensation required is easily dealt with.

The speed limits though the Lincoln area really had me confused and annoyed.

I entered a large village which was a 40mph limit and as I drove through (at about 35mph (remember it's a limit not a target)) there were families walking and cyclists cycling and then I got to the other side and it was still 40mph. The village should have been a 30mph.

At the other end of the scale were some very quiet open roads about a mile before a small village which were marked as 30mph and all that was about were farms. Absolutely crazy regulation of limits which needs an outsider to regularise.

After leaving Lincoln on the A15 it remained eerily straight for 16 miles like something you would expect in America. I started getting tired and with traffic at a steady speed there was no point overtaking to gain a few seconds here and there which just annoys other drivers.

I tried to wake myself a little by turning up the volume on the excellent standard fit JBL sound system. Up to this point I had been listening to Radio 2 so I popped a Metallica (Black Album) CD into the single CD slot and the Just Bloody Loud speakers coped well with the highs and lows of Los Angeles's finest. It may not be a high end (read high price) set up like Bose or Harman Kardon with many speakers and an additional amplifier but it produces cracking sound quality and some good volume from just 6 speakers.

I turn off the A15 onto the B4100 which provides some opportunities for a little more fun, some nice straights and then fast corners until it becomes built up and 30mph limits.

I entered Messingham and located the garage where I am to meet the owner to discuss the positioning of a new cabinet as part of a 4G telecoms upgrade for EE. I agreed the location for the new cabinet and then drove onto the forecourt to fill up with fuel.

I put in 10.56 gallons of unleaded and calculated the RCZ R has done a real world 32.9mpg which is pretty impressive considering how hard it has been driven.

I left Messingham at 16:40 and according to TomTom it was 120 miles and just over 2 hours to home. On the M62. Oh joy!

I was soon on motorways, first the M180, then the M18 and then the M62 which will take me the majority of the way home.

Strangely, at rush hour the M62 is free flowing and the R settles on cruise at an appropriate pace. The ride was still noticeably firm but it's forgiven the moment you change lane and feel the stability of the car.

Soon I dropped on to the M6 for a short hop then onto the M56 for a junction before getting onto the A559 to near enough home. The A559 is a winding tree lined county road well known for a high death rate as the corners get increasing tighter and catch drivers out but I know this road like the back of my hand so I can play safely.

Out of tight corners in second gear the torque steer builds quickly from 4,000rpm and is great fun to interact with through the thin rimmed steering wheel. Many new cars are dull lifeless boxes but this feels alive and edgy.

The uprated brakes (380mm floating dics and 4 piston calipers) come into full use along here, they have huge stopping power and practically no fade yet still offer a good degree of modulation through the pedal.

Sadly the journey's about to end as I turned into my road - Ollershaw Lane. 1 mile later and I turned into my drive and parked up at 18:57.

I'd been on the road for 13 hours and 428 miles and predictably was knackered but I didn't have a single ache or pain from sitting in the same position for many hours. That's pretty impressive and partly due to the good driving position but is mostly down to the seats in the R. They could have been moulded to fit my torso as they are so comfy yet also supportive in the corners, nevermind looking like they have been plucked from something Italian and very expensive.

I got out of the car, gave it a pat on the Le Mans scooped roof, closed the door and went in the house for a well deserved brew.

What a day, what a car! The Peugeot Sport team have done an excellent job.

Full review to follow. 

Peugeot RCZ R and Mk1 Audi TT

Peugeot RCZ R

Peugeot RCZ R

Peugeot RCZ R

Peugeot RCZ R

By Colin Hubbard

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Five Peugeots/Citroens Never Sold In The UK

Citroen's DS range has certainly caught the imagination of the motoring public in recent years. The DS3 certainly is cute and has plenty of charisma, along with the DS4 and DS5 which boast daring and interesting lines and angles. Following the interest and success, the line continues with the DS 6WR, a compact crossover unveiled at the Beijing Motorshow.

The stylish angles and design language certainly appears more desirable than the current Mitsubishi ASX-based Citroen C4 Aircross and Peugeot 4008 siblings, which have proven ineffective in terms of European sales. Therefore the Citroen DS 6WR, equipped with one of the PSA family's infamous diesel units has the recipe for a potential sales success. Alas unfortunately not, as with the Ford Escort revealed last week on Speedmonkey.co.uk, PSA have decided to offer the DS 6WR exclusively to the Chinese market.

Apparently PSA are striving to increase sales of Peugeots and Citroens in the affluent Chinese market, where they currently sell 13 per cent of their worldwide output. In fact, this figure is currently on course to become 50 per cent by 2016 and 60 per cent by 2020. Whereas it may seem that the French brands are conspiring to leave us Europeans in the dark, a deteriorating reputation for poor build quality, dwindling sales and dangerously walking the tightrope of bankruptcy has called for drastic measures. With China's demand for foreign brands rising, manufacturers are beginning to change their priorities. The DS 6WR, available in China with only the e-THP 160 and 200 Prince engines mounted on a six-speed automatic transmission, is not the first PSA product not available throughout the entire European market. Below we explore some special market vehicles which were never available in Britain.

5 - Citroen DS 5LS

Coming soon to the Chinese market, along with the aforementioned DS 6WR, the DS 5LS is a C-segment saloon with a surprising amount of flare. As Citroen aims to push the DS name as a fully-fledged brand in the Chinese market, logically more models will arrive in Shanghai instead of Salisbury. More interesting though is the hardcore DS 5LS R concept, which promises to be the most powerful Citroen yet. If priced correctly, Volkswagen Golf R and Audi S3 Saloon buyers may find themselves surprised at the lights.

4 - Citroen Axel

Your eyes do not deceive you, this image is not of a regular Citroen Visa. The Axel was a special vehicle produced exclusively for the Romanian market between 1984 and 1990. Also known as the Oltcit Club, the Axel was a three-door vehicle produced on an assembly line in Craiova. Unfortunately, quality was atrocious by comparison to contemporary Citroen products and only amounted to just over 60,000 sales.

3 - Citroen C-Elysée/Peugeot 301

Regular readers will have recently learned of the sister C-segment saloon's existence. Unsurprisingly, they shall make an appearance once again. Selections of the European market can opt for either/or, or occasionally both, however the main focus is on the developing markets worldwide. For instance, the C-Elysée's previous generation was based on the ancient Citroen ZX in China as late as last year. Following the discontinuation, the Citroen version is also assembled within China, along with Vigo in Spain.

2 - Peugeot 4008/Citroen C4 Aircross

Readers who were scratching their heads during the second paragraph of this article will now be satisfied and safe in the knowledge that the mystery vehicles referred to remain enigmatic in the UK market. Based upon the familiar Mitsubishi ASX crossover, the 4008 and C4 Aircross have proven disappointing in terms of sales figures throughout Europe, including in the French market. Naturally, PSA were targeting the developing markets with this model, with Russia and Ukraine receiving the earliest launch date worldwide.

1 - Peugeot 206+

Yes, Britain certainly received the Peugeot 206 with a whirlwind in terms of sales throughout its life time. However, the legend died in 2006 and thus was the end of the chapter. Not entirely, as Citroen produced a face-lifted model called the 206+ in Europe, or 207 Compact in Argentina. With the front end from the replacing 207, and a low retail price, the 206+ was aimed to compete with a similar project by Renault with the Clio based Dacia Logan. Sales weren't terrible either, with production lasting until late 2012 in Europe. Production ended at the Mulhouse plant in Paris following strong demand for the 208 and the launch of the 207-based Peugeot 301.

By Mike Armstrong

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2014 Peugeot RCZ GT THP 156 Review

Colin Hubbard reviews the 2014 Peugeot RCZ

The Peugeot RCZ is a 2 plus 2 Coupe which was launched back in 2010 off the back of a concept car shown at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 2007. It is based on the mainstream 308 partly to save on production costs but also to speed up the gestation time and get it to market.

The RCZ is manufactured in Graz, Austria and being so close to Germany some of that Germanic build quality seems to have rubbed off as the fit and finish of materials is an age away from Peugeots of old. It is a particularly handsome car, much like the original Audi TT which coincidentally was also built off the back of a concept car.

The range consists of a 1.6 litre petrol engine in varying states of tune (156, 200 or 270bhp) and a 2 litre diesel with 163bhp.  The car reviewed is the least powerful 156bhp petrol model in GT spec with a manual gearbox.

External impressions are that it is a great looking car that's still bordering on futuristic some 4 years after launch with clever styling touches finished off with seriously large 19 inch wheels. Curves are a common theme on the exterior of the car; appearing on the bubble style arches, along the outside edges of the bonnet and the gorgeous double bubble roof which apparently references the Peugeot racer's success at Le Mans.

The body shape is the polar opposite of an 80's Volvo, which were penned with only a steel ruler, whereas the RCZ looks to be have been penned part by bendy ruler and part by compass. The cab forwards stance reminds me of a Hennessey Venom with its elongated back end - this emphases the double bubble roof and fixed glass rear windscreen.

From some angles, especially the rear three quarter view, the body is quite feminine and from others like the side on and front three quarter view it's squat and aggressive. The bodyline rises just after the front door and into the shallow rear side windows and both are capped off with aluminium coloured roof 'arches' as Peugeot call them.

A pop up rear spoiler retains clean lines when parked up but adds a small amount of drama when it rises at 52mph, or it can be raised manually via a button in cabin.

The doors are very long and eat into the rear three quarter panels but, while aiding access to the rear seats, they make exiting tricky when parked close to other cars as their length means they can't open far in a tight spot.

Once in and it's a nice place to be. Peugeot have really pulled their socks up in the fit and finish department and leather covered and stitched dashboard and door cards bring an upmarket style to the cabin.

Luckily Peugeot haven't utilised their clocks above the steering wheel design which they use in the 208.  This means you can have the steering wheel high enough to suit your driving position but unfortunately when in the optimum position it obscures the clocks so you can't see 100% of them. The steering wheel is completely button free with a lower pair of stalks to taking care of the stereo and cruise control functions.

The front seats are genuinely good looking with some thigh, hip and shoulder support and fixed headrest giving them an attractive shape and the light grey 'Lama' leather (from a moo'ing rather than spitting animal) seat faces contrast against the charcoal sides and backs. My personal view of grey leather is that it's dull and very 70s office furniture but its application in this cabin is one of style and flair. The Peugeot emblem embossed towards the top is a nice touch.

In the back and it's cramped - I wouldn't want to spend more than 15 minutes in there and even then my neck would be bent as the rear screen rakes rapidly toward the bootlid. Whilst in the back I noticed the shape of the headlining matches the outside contour of the double bubble roof. There’s more room than in a Mk1 TT and maybe slightly more than a Mk2 TT so perfect for the kids and for occasional emergency adult use hence the 2+2 tag.

The leather dash is well finished and the bumps over the 3 spheres (2 vents and an analogue clock) at the top of the dash are a nice design detail showing off some quality fabrication. Lower down on the centre console the heater and stereo functions are easily within reach and simple to operate.

Start the engine and a 7 inch info screen rotates out of top of the dash in the perfect viewing position just below the screen. It wasn't affected by sunlight on my test but can be adjusted if the need arises.

The 1.6 litre petrol is rated at 156bhp and 180 lb/ft torque - similar power to the old 306 GTI-6 but with a few more hundred kilos to carry. It is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox with surprising long ratios with potential to manage a combined cycle 44mpg.

At start up and idle it's quiet and refined, but get going and it's slightly fruity, but all induction noise with sadly nothing coming from the two meaty tailpipes. Performance from this base car is, let's say, sufficient. It's not going to set your hair on fire by any means but it's more than enough to keep up with modern traffic. As with these small capacity turbocharged motors whilst there's reasonable low rev pull they have to be revved to extract the most speed and entertainment out of them. You need to get it over 4,000rpm to make good progress and use all of the throttle travel as there's a last inch if you press really hard and you feel it click like a switch. Keep your foot in and it gets more urgent towards it's 6,000rpm redline.

Performance figures are 0-60 in 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 133mph which is quicker accelerating but ultimately slower than the diesel model, presumable due to the diesel engine's extra weight. Over the course of a week it returned over 40mpg which is hugely respectable for a petrol car driven hard and only about 10mpg down on the diesel which costs £2k more so unless you do an exceptionally high mileage the petrol is the better bet.

The gearbox is a joy to use being slick in operation with a light clutch but I did take issue with the clutch pedal positioning. Every time I went for the clutch I would catch my foot on the pedal and the same coming off the clutch which is infuriating when on an enthusiastic drive. If it was my own car I would remove the clutch pedal and fabricate it half an inch to the right and half an inch lower, that's all it needs.

On a 200 mile motorway cruise it proved to be a friendly stead being a relaxed cruiser with little wind noise, a smooth ride and benefitting from high gearing of just 2,300rpm in 6th gear at 70mph. Whilst the engine may not be that powerful it pulls very cleanly from low revs.  For example, in sixth gear at 50mph it pulls with no stutter or lag which would have other cars spluttering.

The electrics proved to be reliable and intuitive. The cruise control worked very well through variable speed limits on the M42 and showed your set speed on the dash.  Speed can be fine-tuned through the left lower stalk. The auto wipers and auto lights proved to be user friendly over a week of monsoon weather and I didn't have to touch the wiper setting once.

The Sat Nav has good positioning and modern easy to read graphics but irritatingly will not accept postcode inputs so you have to find your destination with town, streetname and property number. This isn't really acceptable for a £700 option as I couldn't find my destination most of the time because Holly Cottage or Fairbank House aren't numeric and as I don't know the nearest house number it can't find the nearest street within the town. It's such a shame that this little bit of software deficiency lets down a great system as when you can find your destination it's better than a Tom Tom with a large main map and a little next junction map in the top of the screen.

The optional JBL hifi is a worthwhile option to pick.  For just £420 you get six uprated speakers and a 240 watt digital amplifier. The sound is fairly bass heavy but also has clear vocals without being harsh.

My daily commute consists of 30 miles of mainly country roads which are in a poor state of repair and showed up a flaw in the wheel control of the car. The 19 inch wheels have mammoth 235/40/19 tyres and the suspension had a hard time of controlling the mass of the unsprung weight so the car would often be pushed off line with large crashes felt through the cabin over the potholes and ruts.

On smooth roads and all is good though with little body roll as the firm damping keeps a secure line and you can made steady progress if you avoid potholes. The brakes proved up to the task despite being a standard set up and I only once managed to trigger the ABS in the lovely but drenched Cheshire countryside.

When out in the rain and you look in the rear view mirror the water droplets emphasises the dramatic curves of the double bubble rear windscreen.

When you're in the mood it can be a entertaining drive.  It has just enough power to tickle some wheel spin out of junctions.  Keep the revs high to use all of the 156bhp and the chassis shines through a little of that French magic we were used to in the 80's - that’s if you can manage to avoid the British road defects. The little induction buzz helps you guess the revs so you can concentrate firmly on the road rather than the clocks and a little feedback through the wheel helps you position the car nicely on the road.

When pressing on I would appreciate a little more side support in the seats as whilst they look good they are built for comfort rather than cornering.

And now to the Achilles Heel - the price. The list price for this car is just over £24k and as tested with metallic paint, JBL hifi and Sat Nav it's a smidge over £26k so quite alot of money for a 1.6 Peugeot.

The only true competition on sale today is the Audi TT but how does that compare? The cheapest TT, the 1.8 TFSI, starts at £24k and once specced to the same standard as the RCZ as driven is over £31k, some £5k more expensive. The on-paper performance figures are fairly close, similar powered engines but the Audi is a little quicker as it weights over 100 kilos less.

There is no better car out of the two.  It all boils down to personal preference. Both have stylish but cosy interiors and turn heads like a boxer's punch but the TT is slightly quicker, has a slightly better ride but then it costs £5,000 more than the RCZ. In the looks department I would say the French car is the better looker.

Just like a Mini the RCZ is available with all sorts of personalisation options - the body, arches, mirrors, roof and wheels are all available in a variety of colours and Peugeot also offer transfers for various body parts. The inside hasn't escaped the attention either with various 2-tone or single colour leather options.

Overall it's a very sleek and stylish car and now I've had one for a week I am noticing more and more of them on the road whereas prior to my drive I can only recall a handful. I was impressed with the interior build quality and whilst not quite of Germanic standard it has its own individual French flair.

As I write Peugeot has just launched the RCZ 'R' with a claimed 270bhp from the same 1.6 litre 4 pot, fitted it with a mechanical limited slip diff and some proper sports seats. After the 156 GT I can't wait to see how the RCZ has been transformed into a serious performance car.

Stats:

Price - £24,250 (£26,075 as tested)
Engine - 1.6 litre, 4 cylinder turbo, petrol
Transmission - 6 speed manual
0-62mph - 8.3 seconds
Top speed - 133 mph
Power - 156bhp at 5,800rpm
Torque - 180lb ft from 1,400rpm
Economy - 44.4mpg combined
CO2 - 149 g/km
Kerb weight - 1394kg unladen

Review by Colin Hubbard

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Peugeot RCZ GT THP 156 - Initial thoughts

Colin Hubbard is running a Peugeot RCZ GT.  Here are his initial impressions

This week I have been driving the Peugeot RCZ, the French Audi TT wannabe that was launched following huge public interest when they showed a 308 coupe concept at Frankfurt in 2007.

Considering it’s been around since 2010 I can’t say that I have seen many on the roads but Peugeot has apparently sold over 50,000 units in its first 3 years in production.

Let’s start with the looks. Well, it is a gorgeous looking car with curves on the arches, the roof, pretty much everywhere you look and with the 19 inch ‘Technical’ alloys is better looking than the current TT which is its main competitor.

Style is what sells this car and, like a Mini, is available with a range of customisation options from the various items of bodywork to the design and colour of the wheels. This car comes in Charcoal Metallic with aluminium pillars and 'hephais' light grey alloys which work together to highlight the body curves and especially the double bubble roof and tinted rear windscreen.

On the inside it comes with Light Grey ‘Lama’ leather on the seat facings and some door highlights and Charcoal leather on the dash and door cards. Whenever I am looking at cars to buy if they have a grey leather interior I ignore and go to the next one but this combo works very well and combined with the piano black dash panel is something I would personally opt for.

The lighter seat facings give the interior an air of space but the double bubble roof counteracts that feeling by making me feel a little claustrophobic.  I am only 5’9 tall but there’s only about 2 inches of space above my head and I would like more. I think the issue is aggravated by the front seats being mounted too high.  If they were 2 inches lower would vastly improve the driving experience.

In the back and it’s definitely a 2+2 with 2 separate seats and little legroom, although marginally better than a TT. I could handle sitting in the back for a 15 minutes but no longer.  Young kids would be just fine back there and mine thoroughly enjoyed a ride out in it with no complaints.

Unlike the TT the RCZ has a bootlid only rather than a hatchback but the rear seats do fold down so longer loads can be accommodated when required. The boot is a fair size and would swallow a set of golf clubs or a good weekly shop with ease.

The 156 comes with a 1.6 turbo petrol engine and is the least powerful unit available in the RCZ, for the Petrolheads there are 2 other states of tune for this engine along with a 2.0 diesel for Company Car Man/Woman. Mated to this engine is a 6 speed manual gearbox which is a slick to operate and highly geared for maximum fuel economy with second gear capable of hitting sixty with ease. I found I only used 5th and 6th gears on dual carriageways and motorways as they drop the revs too much for enthusiastic country driving, which is my route to work. On the motorway it'll happily cruise at 70mph at approx 2,500 revs and showed an average of 45mpg on the trip computer.

In use the engine pulls cleanly and is sufficient to maintain a good pace but it is plagued with the same 2 stage throttle pedal I experienced in the 208 GTI whereby the last inch of travel is only accessible with a good prod and feels like a switch being pressed. Once you have realised that there's the extra travel then it opens up a little and is more fun to drive.

The handling is let down by the huge wheels and tyres (235/40/19) so bumps and potholes can push the car offline and send a crash through the cabin. On smooth roads the body is kept nicely in check so can be fun if you manage to avoid poorly surfaced roads but overall I would opt for the smaller 18’ alloys for a better ride.

The brakes are nicely weighted and inspire confidence to press on with the ABS only reigning things in when the monsoon weather came in at the weekend.

After 3 days of driving the car I am impressed with the package overall.  Yes there are some bad points such as the crashy ride but this is a poser’s car and the huge wheels are an essential part of the package to create that look. The compromised 2+2 layout is a small price to pay for its style both inside and out and the funny thing is whilst driving this car I have noticed so many more RCZ’s on the road.

One thing I have noticed, and this may be a Peugeot trait as I found the same with a week in a 208 GTI, is that initial driving impressions were slightly disappointing but every drive you go for you find something else to like about it.

Full report to follow.

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Catch-up Corner - Mercedes SLS Final Edition, a racing Elise, the Peugeot RCZ R and a cheapo Chevrolet

Each week Graham King rounds up some bits of news you might have missed

The Mercedes SLS is no more

The madness had to end at some point and that end is now nigh. After four brief but glorious years, Mercedes will end production of the bonkers SLS AMG next year. No more will we see those fabulously over-the-top gullwing doors, hear the ferocious bellow of the mental V8 engine or witness the ridiculously oversteery handling. Actually, we will - a replacement is on the way and should be more of the same.

In the meantime, Mercedes has announced a 350-off Final Edition run-out model. It’s based on the SLS AMG GT so has 591bhp, a 0-62mph time of 3.7secs and a top speed of 199mph. Which is plenty. It comes in both Coupe and Roadster forms, adding yet more variations to a theme that includes the Black Series, an electric version and the hugely successful GT3 race car. The Final Edition will be officially unveiled at the Tokyo/LA shows later this month.

Lotus launches turn-key racing Elise

Want to go racing in a Lotus Elise but don’t want the hassle of having to build your own car? Well, you’re in luck as Lotus Motorsport will now sell you an Elise S Cup R. As the name suggests, it’s based on the 1.8-litre, supercharged Elise S and has been massaged a bit to make it work on the track.

The engine’s output remains unchanged at 217bhp and 181lb/ft, but a new ECU gives it more track-appropriate performance. Adjustable springs and dampers give more focussed handling, while the aerodynamic bodykit produces real downforce. And despite all the FIA-spec safety gear, weight is kept down to a suitably lean 924kg. The whole package results in a car some 1.2secs per kilometer faster than the road-going version.

The Elise S Cup R is eligible for the Lotus Cup UK racing series and costs just £39,125+VAT. But that doesn’t include the cost of running it. Still, it’s not much money for a pretty serious racing car.

Peugeot builds a car you might actually want

After what seems like years of rumours Peugeot has finally launched the RCZ R, the scorching-hot version of its buxom coupe. The main headline behind the RCZ R is its power figure: 270bhp. That’s similar to the Megane RS and Astra VXR, but Peugeot have extracted that number from just 1.6-litres. Which is astonishing.

There’s some heavy-duty engineering in the, er, engine to achieve that 270bhp. At the top there’s F1-grade forged Mahle pistons and an increased compression ratio of 9.2:1. Lower down there’s uprated con-rods with polymer-coated bearings that can withstand higher temperatures. Add in a new twin-scroll turbocharger and larger intercooler and the boffins at Peugeot Motorsport have liberated 168.96bhp per litre.

The power is reined in by a stronger clutch and a proper Torsen diff. Widened track front and rear, stiffer suspension and Goodyear Eagle F1-shod 19-inch wheels improve the handling. 0-62mph takes 5.9secs and top speed is a limited 155mph.

I drove the 200bhp RCZ earlier this year and loved it. It was plenty powerful enough and the chassis felt tenacious and stable. And it looks gorgeous. The RCZ R should be even more fun and I want to find out if it is quite badly. The only potential problem is the price: £31,995. Which is a lot next to the aforementioned Megane and Astra and a helluva lot for a Peugeot. But it’s still the first Pug since the 306 GTi-6 that I actually want.

Chevrolet TRAX auctioned off for charity

I would normally ignore this story, but it tickled me. This Manchester United edition TRAX was sold on eBay, the funds going to Man U’s Ability Counts programme that helps people with disabilities get involved in playing/coaching football. All very laudable. Why was I tickled? Well, this brand-new, high-spec TRAX signed by the Man U team sold for £14,301. The cheapest TRAX retails at £15,495. Draw your own conclusions. I will point out there are just 78 TRAXes(?) listed on HowManyLeft. There’s several thousand of its Vauxhall Mokka cousin.

Article by Graham King

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Which new car would you like to see given the 106 Rallye treatment?

The Peugeot 106 Rallye S2 was essentially a stripped out 106 GTi.  The Rallye shared the GTi's chassis and engine but lost non-essential items such as electric windows, sound insulation, power steering, ABS and alloy wheels.

The name was cunning. It wasn't a rally car per se but the Rallye name hinted that it would be capable of sideways action on a stretch of gravel.  Its bodykit and paint schemes didn't hurt that association.

As such the 106 Rallye was a proper, lightweight hot hatch with dynamic handling and massive chuckability.

Rather than spout on any more I'll let Vicki Butler-Henderson tell you why it was ace.

The 106 Rallye showed us that to make a normal car fun you must add lightness (© Colin Chapman). It weighed 868kg, did 39mpg and spewed out 174 g/km of CO2.  And that was in the late 90s.

Yet today's hot hatchbacks, and most cars come to that, are heavy old things.  The new Golf GTI weighs 1,325kg, the Peugeot 208 GTI weighs 1,160 and the Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo weighs 1,204kg.

Even the Fiesta ST weighs 1,100kg.

Remember, the Peugeot 106 Rallye weighed 868kg.  That's a full 292kg lighter than the 208 GTI.  An adult male Grizzly bear weighs 290kg.  The 208 GTI is the 106 Rallye with a Grizzly bear in the passenger seat.

I know safety and environmental legislation adds weight to a car but 300kg?  Come on!

My top choice for a modern Rallye would be the Renaultsport Megane 265 Cup.  I'd ditch the back seats, all the piano black, stereo and half the door trim.  The electric windows would stay because modern electric motors are pretty light, and integral to the design.  Engineering manual windows in would be a nightmare.

I'd replace all the plastics with something super light like, ooh, I don't know - bamboo?  That's pretty light and strong.  I'd probably be happy with some plastic non-stressed body panels too.  I'd lose the aircon and all the enviro-gubbins such as engine gas recycling that keeps the CO2 figure down and puts the weight up.

The Dynamic mode, adaptive dampers and all that crap would go.  It wouldn't need adaptive suspension because it would be light enough not to need different modes.

The standard Megane 265 weighs 1,379kg.  I reckon my Renaultsport Megane 265 Cup Rallye could get it down to 1,000kg easily.

So my question is, what modern car would you like to see a Rallye version of?  And what parts and components would you lose to make it a Rallye?

Article by Matt Hubbard

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2013 Peugeot 208 GTI review

Colin Hubbard reviews the Peugeot 208 GTI and finds out if Peugeot has regained its mojo with its new hot hatch

In 1986 Peugeot launched a more powerful version of the 205 GTI with a 1.9 engine and 130bhp.  It was a pretty and competitive rival to the Golf GTI and Nova GTE and one of the sweetest handling hot hatches of all time. Since the 205 was dropped in 1993, Peugeot have lost their hot hatch mojo, so fast forward 2 decades and let's see how they fare now.

To find out I have spent a week with Peugeot's latest offering the 208 GTI to see how it stands up against stiff completion from the Fiesta ST to Clio 200 Turbo.

When I first sat in the car I was disappointed, the plastics felt cheap, there was a sharp piece of plastic on the handbrake, the gearknob felt plain weird and the steering wheel obscured the dials. The first drive and with kids in tow was non-eventful which got me thinking what was all the fuss about, the press have given the car a motoring halo but I just didn’t get it. I felt bad that I would have to give a poor review on my first Peugeot media car and that it would also be the last.

Through the week the car began to grow on me, I adjusted my expectations to the interior plastic quality (I have been spoilt recently with Audis, BMWs and Jags and friends have commented what a nice cabin it has) and began to appreciate the not so subtle styling exercises both inside and out, and the chassis and engine started to shine through. By the weekend it put a genuine smile on my face with the prospect of going for a drive, it’s genuinely capable and jolly good fun.

The outside has some nice styling touches in a nod to the 205 of old, there’s red detailing everywhere but with a little chrome bling to bring it into the 21st century. The front and rear lights with LED highlighting ‘melt’ into the side panels and look classy and integrated. Body coloured side skirts and arch extensions don’t add any width to allow larger wheels but visually break up the vast expanses of metal and work well to sport it up. The front grille is described as ‘3D chequered flag’ and whilst I’m not sure how they got to that description it is funky and adds some more character. Add a large sculptured rear spoiler and some chrome mirrors and job nearly done. The last external job was to recreate and update those C pillar badges, and they are set in a chrome line running from just in front of the mirrors and rising up toward the C pillar. I think they’ve got it spot on.

On the inside and the designer’s had an Iron Man fetish.  There are flashes of red and chrome everywhere you look which shows off an individual character for this little French Fancy. There’s a black blended to red colour scheme on the door handles and dash which works really well and the red LED light around the instruments looks great at night. The seats are comfy and well supportive in the corners and have flashes of red and leather along with GTI branding at the top. The theme is continued in the rear with surprisingly roomy back seats and part leather with flashes of red trim.

The controversial positioning of the dash clocks in front of the windscreen means Peugeot had to fit a small steering wheel but that turns out to be a bonus as it’s a joy to use, it’s a fat-ish diameter covered in quality perforated leather with a red tab at the top (a nod to rally cars to highlight when the front wheels are pointing straight), stereo controls and a red and chrome GTI badge at the bottom. If you were to close your eyes and put your hands on the wheel it is in a good driving position and, as it’s a tall car, it gets away with the position of the clocks high up.  So whilst alien at first once acclimatised its perfectly acceptable. And the feel through the wheel is really good, a nice weighting with accurate wheel positioning.

The 7” infotainment tablet style touchscreen is perfectly positioned high up on the dash to enable reliable inputs and provide a great view of what it’s displaying. It can be used to provide navigation maps, iPod, Aux, Radio and Bluetooth display or as a fuel computer. The colour display is bang up to date and the colour sat nav mapping superior to my Tom Tom. It works very well and the nav instructions are also spoken and appear on a small colour display between the speedo and rev counter. My only criticism is that you can’t input a full UK postcode but that aside it’s up there with the best.

Mechanically the engine is shared with the Mini Cooper S which is a 1.6 High Pressure Turbo unit rated at 200bhp and 203 lb/ft torque which is plenty in a 1160kg shell. Emissions are down from previous year's cars and fuel economy is quoted as a combined 47.9mpg which I seriously doubt you will match if you read on.

So the engine's really the easy bit, where Peugeot needed to shine and seriously pull their socks up was the chassis. It uses the standard recipe of Macpherson front struts and rear torsion bar but it’s been lowered, the track width increased by up to 20mm, the roll bars beefed up and the subframes have been strengthened. The brakes are 302mm front and 249mm rear disks with red callipers and provide plenty of bite.

The standard fit alloys are 17 inch ‘Carbones’ and are available in 3 various shades in the centres with the outside face being polished. They remind me of a dog’s hind leg with the kick off one of the spokes. They are wrapped in 205/45/17 Michelin Pilot Exalto tyres and the whole package looks great against the car filling the wheel arches nicely.  They do not need to be any bigger which would then spoil the ride.

On a bit of a nerdy note the heater controls go up in degrees but when getting closer to the mid temperatures they step up in half degrees enabling the perfect temperature to be selected. It’s not something that I would use as my OCD doesn’t let me select half degrees but for the few that can it saves some time having to tab all the way through the temp scale in half degrees.

The first time I drove the car it felt lukewarm and not so special but as I drove it more it gelled with me, I learn how to extract the most from the engine and how hard I can push the chassis. The engine needs to be thrashed to get the most entertainment from it and the accelerator pushed hard into the floor and past where you think it stops and only then does it reveal it’s full potential. The power delivery is very linear with no such peaks, just a pull from 1,000 revs up to it’s 6,200 rpm redline and it spins the wheels very easily in first at low revs quite by accident and on many occasions I found I could even spin them in third in the dry.

The 6 speed gearbox has a positive and clean shift action and the gearing is spot on for quick fire acceleration. At first I didn’t like the gear knob, thinking it was OTT but found it had leather on the back and the feel of it grew on me over time. It will just hit sixty in second gear in 6.8 seconds and sixth gear is a great cruising gear, at seventy it’s doing less than 3,000 revs so can be a quiet and refined cruiser.

When pressing on the chassis shows true quality and after a week I can declare they have finally found their mojo with a lovely French blend of grip and fluidity. I secretly suspect they have brought the chassis engineers from the 1990s out of retirement as it’s just magic the work they have done to compliment the full fat engine power. The full power and cornering grip is impressive with no torque steer (and note it has no LSD) but the stability control reigns in some power to a spinning wheel so it just grips and grips. Even the brakes are spot on, the large disks bringing it down from high speed with control and pedal precision. The car just wants to be thrashed so that quoted mpg figure will rarely be met as you grab it by the scruff of the neck at every opportunity.

When travelling home from work on Friday night on my route of very country roads I was having a whale of time and the only other car I could think of that would better the drive was an A45AMG, which is nearly twice the price. The excellent Michelin tyres were working hard but in complete control and informed me when the car was close to the limit by the feel of some scrubbing through the steering mid corner. As it soaked up the roads and devoured the corners I had this weird thought in my mind about robbing a bank just so I could enjoy the chase afterwards, it was an unreal and a joyous experience.

Wet weather handling was tested in the week with our beautiful English weather (not!) and it coped admirably.  I had complete faith to push the car as much as 95% as in the dry and not a sweaty palm in sight.

Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed the driving experience there are some bad points about the car which I need to raise and can easily be fixed by Peugeot.

First off is the engine noise or lack of should I say.  It has no emotion, it’s just an engine being used and needs some beef to match its power and the quality of the chassis. A sports exhaust and some induction noise in the cabin would be really appreciated and raise the driving experience. Hopefully this will be available as an option soon.

Second is the sound system connection. It has been blessed with a really funky tablet style display and some good quality speakers but theres no CD player as standard (it’s a £240 option), instead relying on DAB and conventional radio and iPod or aux connections. Also the iPod and aux connections are located conveniently at the base of the centre console but this means that you have to unplug every time you leave the car as your devices will be visible to opportunist thiefs who wouldn’t think twice about smashing a window for a £200 iPod. A connection in the glovebox would cure this.

Third is the sharp plastic on the handbrake which just needs smoothing off.

The 208 GTI is priced from £18,895 and this car featured upgraded sat nav display, metallic paint and fog light cornering assist taking the price up to £19,860 which is good value for the car as a whole as it is well specced.

The competition is the Clio 200 Turbo starting at £19k, Mini Cooper S from £18k and the Ford Fiesta ST from £17k. In my opinion the 208 is dynamically on par with the Fiesta and the interior has more French flair with its Iron Man styling. The Mini is poorly equipped as standard so a comparable model will be £23k and the packaging isn’t as good as the 208 with it’s generously tall cabin and spacious boot. The Clio has ruled itself out of this game with its automatic only transmission.

I hope this little car rejuvenates Peugeot as it’s spankingly good and if you are interested in this sort of car make sure you have one on test for a few days as it’s a real grower. I have trashed this car with the kids in and they didn’t complain like they usually do in my TT, it feels very secure and importantly made them feel safe. The car has obviously been targeted towards a younger audience with flashes of red and chrome and the tablet display with iPod connection but no CD player which is what today’s youth want in a vehicle.

So with Peugeot’s mojo now firmly back in house let’s hope they can bring some more charm and energy with a 208 GTI-R.

The 208 GTI, it’s a great little car!

Article by Colin Hubbard

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