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Scoop: New Peugeot 208 GT Coming in 2015 as 5-Door Warm Hatch

The problem with hot hatchbacks from the supermini class is that unlike their bigger brothers, most can't act civilized. With the exception of the Polo GTI and the MINI Cooper S, there's no automatic transmission or button that takes the sharpness off the throttle response. 200 hp in a small, track-tuned package might sound great, but that's only until you try and live with it on a day to day basis.
Peugeot 208 1 photo
Photo: Peugeot
Peugeot wants to fix that with a formula that's been tried before, a warm hatch. Opel had the Corsa Sport, while Renault made two generation of the Clio GT, first with a 1.6 and now with a 1.2 turbo.

On paper at least, Peugeot's idea is even better. Towards the end of 2015, they are going to launch a new 208 GT model. The model will feature the same 1.6 THP turbo as in the GTi, but it will be tuned from 200 hp down to around 170 horsepower.

Company insiders have told us the biggest advantage of this model will be that it will also come a 5-door, making it more practical than the 3-door only 208 GTi. The kit will be based on the 208 Allure trim level and should include fog lights, chrome trim and a honeycomb grille. 17-inch wheels will be fitted as standard.

This would be the second important GT model in the Peugeot lineup after the 308 GT they recently launched at the Paris Motor Show. However, the GT brand is actually old, having been used on the 307 and previous 308 as well.

With 170 horsepower and somewhere around 260 Nm of torque, the 208 should be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds or less. There currently aren't that many cars in its segment that can match it, but we'd mention the 150 horsepower Polo BlueGT and SEAT Ibiza SC, which come with the same 1.4 TSI turbo. There's also a Citroen version. DS3 DSport… was it called? Ford's only contender is the Fiesta Zetec S Red Edition, which squeezes 140 hp out of a 1-liter engine. But to be fair, the Fiesta ST is much cheaper than the Peugeot 208 GTI, so it actually counts as a rival for the GT.

Here's hoping this report comes true and Peugeot adds another sweet small car in the range.
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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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