208 GTi is a hot number

The make-over has gone well, and should go down well with the target market as well.

The good news it that is not only quick enough to take on the big guns in this segment but also pretty enough to pull the most admiring wolf whistles if you line them up next to each other.

The hot little French number steps into the ring with the credentials of a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.8 seconds which puts it wheel to wheel with the likes of the recently launched Ford Fiesta ST (6.9 secs); Golf GTI (6.6 and 6.55 secs), Renault Megane RS (6.6secs) and Polo GTi (7.68 secs).

It clings with confidence

But the pretty Peugeot is much more than just quick of the mark. It's a sophisticated car with one of the best transmission set-ups in the business and it clings to the road with the kind of confidence last seen in the original Peugeot 205 way back in 1984.

Here a tweak, there a tweak, and a drop or two of steroids.

The newcomer to the 208 range simply oozes quality. It feels solid and confident, even on the badly corrugated roads of the Eastern Cape and even when pushed really hard it retains its dignity.

I drove one of the new 208's on a fairly lengthy stint that included stretches of motorway, country lanes, busy city traffic, two mountain passes plus a couple of laps on the tight and challenging Aldo Scribante race track close to Port Elizabeth and was impressed by how successfully the French white coats have blended Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde into its sporty personality.

Drive it sedately and it contently purrs along quietly but stamp on its tail and it is quick to show its claws. The French carmaker has clearly put the other contenders in this segment under the magnifying glass to find out how they managed to combine general ride comfort with performance motoring - and then set out to beat them at their own game.

Here a tweak, there a tweak, and a drop or two of steroids

So where's the bark?

The clever croissant-eaters started off by lowering the 208 GTi's stanch and widening its track. Next they tweaked the suspension, sharpened the steering, fed its 1.6-litre engine a ton of steroids to boost its muscle power to 147KW and 275Nm, squeezed it into a tight space under a cheeky bonnet and then linked it to one of the best transmission set-ups I have yet experienced in any French car.

Before popping the cork to celebrate their achievement they went on a shopping expedition and came up with a long list of goodies such as fog lights, chrome mirrors, daylight running lights, snazzy alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, a parking assistance system and tinted back windows to give the GTi a few stand-out features.

An airbag, anyone...? Anyone...?

Still not content they added a zillion airbags, automatic drive-away door locking, automatic headlights, a full-size spare-wheel, rain-sensing wipers, a cocky small steering wheel with fingertip audio controls, and a navigation system with colour digital touch screen display.

You should be happy with the range of features.

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"More, more" shouted the marketers so then came bi-zone climate control, onboard computer, cruise control, electric mirrors and windows, emergency brake assist, electronic stability programme (ESP) and last few extras, including a choice of zooty new body colours, a pretty interior cockpit lay-out with lot of fancy trim and red stitching until finally they went off for a long lunch, pleased with what they had created.

However, while they were out glugging bottles of Bordeaux the Clever Dick techies went to work on the GTi and came up with some impressive eco-friendly results that converts into a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 5.9litres/100km and an emissions rating of 139g/km (good on paper, but it's going to be extremely difficult to achieve because keeping a tight rein on this high-spirited sprinter is going to be extremely difficult!).

Zere ees nuzzing like zee genuine French make-over, Qui?

Next up was a complete cabin make-over by the interior designers that included lots of black lacquer panelling, shiny silver strips, red dial surround lighting, high sided racing-style front seats, leather steering wheel wrapping, shiny metal pedals and a stubby quick-throw gear lever.

It could do with a little 'attitude' in the sound department

Here's looking at you.

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Overall a job really well done but, like all cars, there are a few minor niggles. The cabin is both sporty and elegant but not exactly spacious, particularly if you are travelling in the back. Just like a few of my colleagues I also found it difficult to settle into my usual comfortable driving position because the car is designed so that the driver views the dials over the top of the steering wheel and not through the top, as is usually the case.

My only other minor mutter about the GTi is its lack of virtually any bark, growl, snarl and howl exhaust music. This is a scintillating little scorcher and I really think it should have a more audible presence to appeal to the naughty streak in all of us.

The living quarters are not too shabby at all; zee French ees zer for all to see (plus a quite a few airbags, which are also there, but you should hope never to see.

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I have driven a number of the latest hot hatches virtually back to back in recent weeks and although the Peugeot 208 GTi is not automatically the first choice out of the bunch of newbies it certainly puts forward a hugely convincing argument. It is a delightful car that appeals with its performance, agility, build quality and sophistication but mostly because it is even more fun than sipping champagne and watching the shapely mademoiselles doing the can-can at the Moulin Rouge.

The hot little French number is already showing off on local dealership floors with a price tag of R259,900 which includes a three-year/100,000km warranty and a five-year/60,000km maintenance plan.

Specifications

Peugeot 208 GTi review 2013

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Peugeot 208 GTi 2013 review - CarBuyer