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All-New Peugeot 208 Coming in 2018 With Electric Powertrain

Peugeot changed a lot of things when it switched from the 207 to the 208. The new car became much smaller and aimed at premium rivals like the MINI Cooper.
All-New Peugeot 208 Coming in 2018 With Electric Powertrain 10 photos
Photo: Peugeot
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Having already gone through a facelift, the 208 is now headed to an all-new generation, which German magazine Auto Bild says will debut in 2018 at the Geneva Motor Show.

That's less than a year from now, but we do not doubt their information because unlike their German counterparts, French automakers can take up to a year to put the car into production after it's been revealed. So actually, you probably won't be able to buy the new 208 until the end of 2018.

The name will stay the same since every "premium" Peugeot must have an 8 at the end, while the cheaper models get a 1. But everything else is likely to change.

Our recent spyshots suggest a wider chassis will be used. We also saw that the rear wheels were sitting a little further back, and the German report claims the 208 II will be roomier inside too.

Recent developments in the supermini segment suggest customers are ready for grown-up hatchbacks with 5-door bodies and trunks that would have competed with compacts ten years ago. However, Peugeot and Fiat have intentionally targeted buyers in congested cities, where phobia of parking is a thing.

The platform of the 208 is being co-developed with Chinese partner Dongfeng. Powertrains will come in the form of 3-cylinder gasoline engines and new four-cylinder diesel ones. The DS 7 Crossback has a 1.5-liter HDi, so they are probably talking about that.

There's also going to be an electric version, as Citroen, Peugeot and Dongfeng plan to launch over a dozen EVs and plug-ins over the coming years. How long can the diesel engine survive in Europe? Probably not even Peugeot knows the answer to that one, but probably less than the lifespan of this new supermini.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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