Peugeot 208 review

Up front, leg room and head room are good, while the cabin is wide enough inside to ensure plenty of shoulder room. Just in front of the gearlever lies a generously proportioned cubbyhole that’s easily big enough to take a wallet, set of keys and a mobile phone. To the right of the wheel, lower down on the dash is another shelf for storing coins or keys. Each front door has a pocket, but they aren’t particularly wide, and it’s disappointing that a central armrest with storage beneath is optional on Active, Allure and GT Line models. A glovebox is standard, but it’s quite a slim space.

Rear-seat occupants will find that the Peugeot 208 is merely average for space, and struggles against roomier rivals such as the Honda Jazz and Skoda Fabia.

Adults will find their knees rubbing the backs of the front seats and their head brushing the roof, but two adults will at least have decent shoulder room. Three would be a squeeze. The middle passenger also has quite a pronounced tunnel to straddle.

The front seatbacks don’t feature pockets in which to store books or magazines and the rear door pockets aren’t particularly generously sized, either.

While all 208s benefit from driver’s seat-height adjustment, entry-level Access A/C models go without passenger seat-height adjustment, and Active models have it only as an option. All trims thereafter get it as standard.

Access A/C cars also miss out on 60/40 split folding rear seats, and once again, you can’t add them as an option either. However, they are standard from next-level Active trim. Once down, the step up between the boot floor and folded backrest is eliminated by a fabric flap, but the backrests themselves lie at quite a steep angle, making it difficult to push long, heavy items across.

At 285 litres, the 208’s boot is about average for the class. Rivals such as the Honda Jazz and Skoda Fabia have bigger spaces, but at least the Peugeot’s is a nice square shape and has a decently wide opening.

Unfortunately there’s quite a pronounced lip to lift heavy bags over, and Peugeot doesn’t include an adjustable floor or make it possible to add one as an option.

There are no practical touches, such as bag hooks, 12V sockets or cubbyholes.