Peugeot reinvents its GTi badge for the EV age – and the E-208 is the best looking electric hot-hatch so far

Peugeot chose the petrolhead’s paradise of 24h of Le Mans to reveal its long-awaited E-208 GTi model, which it says will offer “class leading” performance and interoperates the DNA of some of the most memorable GTi cars that have come before it.

Borrowing powertrain elements from fellow Stellantis-owned brand Fiat’s Abarth 600e model, the upcoming E-208 GTi will deliver 280hp from its M4+ electric motor that's mounted to the front wheels, which is enough 'ti' make the 0-62mph sprint in 5.7 seconds.

The top speed will be limited to 112mph, while the 54kWh battery offers a slightly concerning 217 miles of range. That falls short of the recently released Renault 5 E-Tech and a long way off something like the Cupra Born VZ, which manages a claimed 366 miles from its 79kWh battery.

Charging is also relatively slow, with a 20-80%top -up taking 30 minutes from a 100kW charging outlet… the max rate it can handle from a DC fast charger.

That said, Peugeot says it employs optimized thermal management and energy recovery that helps to eke out the most of the battery life when driving like a hooligan.

Designers clearly placed the original Peugeot 205 GTi at front and centre when styling the latest electric offering, as it carries across the recognizable bright repaint work, red carpets and seatbelts inside, as well as redesigned front seats that feature integrated headrests and, you guessed it, lots of flashes of red.

Outside, the standard E-208 has been beefed up to include flared wheel arches, shorter overhangs, a lower overall stance and a wider track. Coupled with the “Hole” alloy wheels (another nod to the 205 GTi) and the subtle spoilers, it certainly looks the part.

The French marque says the E-208 GTi was fully designed by the Peugeot Sport team — the same one that regularly goes endurance racing — which introduced a limited slip differential and tweaked the braking and chassis to make for a more engaging driving experience.

History weighs heavy on the hot hatch

There is currently no word on price and the E-208 GTi will be a Europe-only vehicle for now, although the range-topping Abarth 600e Scorpionisma costs just shy of £40,000 (around $54,000/AU$84,000), which gives a good indication.

However, the 205 GTi of the 1980s garnered a reputation because it was featherweight (the 1.6-litre version tipped the scales at just 848kg), giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 142 hp per tonne, bettering much of the hot hatch competition of the time.

Peugeot’s electric version aims to repeat the story, offering 5.7kg per horsepower, which the French marque says is best power-to-weight ratio in its segment. Although, those figures have the E-208 GTi tipping the scales at a portly 1,596kg — almost twice that of the original 205 GTi.

There's no getting away from weight when it comes to electric vehicles, but it will be interesting to see if Peugeot can inject some of the original 205 GTi's characteristics into this modern interpretation.

It's also just good to see that the humble hot hatch is still very much on the agenda in the electric age.

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