Photo: Peugeot
When you hear GTI, the first thing that comes to mind is the go-faster variant of the Volkswagen Golf in 1975. Peugeot comes on a close second with the GTi, a suffix dating back to 1984 and the legendary hot hatchback based on the 205.
Only the 308 GTi is still with us, but going forward, the French Lion “is unlikely to revive its iconic badge.” Auto Express believes that Peugeot Sport Engineered is how the performance-oriented 208 will be called to the detriment of 208 GTi now that the automaker has embraced PHEVs and pure-electric cars.
According to the report, “Peugeot bosses in France have gone cold on the idea of calling the next 208 a GTi because of its all-electric powertrain.” The British motoring publication believes this is the nameplate to expect because the 508-based concept car from the 2019 Geneva Motor Show is called the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered.
The one-off sedan is a plug-in hybrid with a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine from the PureTech family and two electric motors, one at the front and the other driving the rear axle. Total output is more than 500 horsepower, but the system can’t deliver peak output simultaneously. Given this limitation, the concept is capable of a real-world rating of around 400 horsepower.
That’s still enough for 4.3 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) and a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), more than enough for a mid-size sedan with an otherwise eco-friendly powertrain. A hotter 508 is scheduled to arrive in European showrooms by the end of 2020, but as opposed to the concept, the series-production model will feature a combined output of around 350 bhp.
British higher-ups are reportedly fighting with those in France, urging Peugeot to retain the GTi nameplate for the next evolution of the 208. An insider told Auto Express that GTi “has great resonance and heritage within the UK,” and we agree with that argument. Just take a look at how the Porsche Taycan is called Turbo and Turbo S as nods to the automaker’s turbocharged legacy.
According to the report, “Peugeot bosses in France have gone cold on the idea of calling the next 208 a GTi because of its all-electric powertrain.” The British motoring publication believes this is the nameplate to expect because the 508-based concept car from the 2019 Geneva Motor Show is called the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered.
The one-off sedan is a plug-in hybrid with a 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine from the PureTech family and two electric motors, one at the front and the other driving the rear axle. Total output is more than 500 horsepower, but the system can’t deliver peak output simultaneously. Given this limitation, the concept is capable of a real-world rating of around 400 horsepower.
That’s still enough for 4.3 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) and a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), more than enough for a mid-size sedan with an otherwise eco-friendly powertrain. A hotter 508 is scheduled to arrive in European showrooms by the end of 2020, but as opposed to the concept, the series-production model will feature a combined output of around 350 bhp.
British higher-ups are reportedly fighting with those in France, urging Peugeot to retain the GTi nameplate for the next evolution of the 208. An insider told Auto Express that GTi “has great resonance and heritage within the UK,” and we agree with that argument. Just take a look at how the Porsche Taycan is called Turbo and Turbo S as nods to the automaker’s turbocharged legacy.
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