Peugeot drops 208 starting price

PEUGEOT has introduced a new entry variant for its refreshed 208 hatch range, with the French car-maker's baby now starting from the same price as a base Kia Rio or Suzuki Swift.

Kicking off from $15,990 plus on-road costs, the Access is the new entry point into Peugeot's Australian line-up and represents a drop over the outgoing base variant, the 1.6-litre Active that was available for $19,990 driveaway.

Peugeot Australia said in a release that it is the lowest price for a model in the French car-maker's 80-year local history.

The new base price gives Peugeot a better chance to tackle mainstream car-makers, with the 208 joining the Rio and Swift in the price bracket, while other rivals include similarly priced entry versions of the Ford Fiesta ($15,825), Holden Barina ($15,390) and Skoda Fabia ($15,990).

With the updated 208 – first seen at this year's Geneva motor show – Peugeot introduces its 1.2-litre three-cylinder PureTech petrol engine to the 208 range after its successful debut in the 308 late last year. It is also now found under the bonnet of the Citroen C4.

In Access guise, the 1.2-litre unit produces 60kW, is matched with a five-speed manual gearbox and is offered with standard gear including power front windows, cruise control with an electronic speed limiter, air-conditioning in the cabin and the glovebox, a six-speaker audio system with CD player, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel audio controls, central locking, a Hurricane Grey body colour and 15-inch steel wheels with covers and a full-sized spare.

In terms of safety it features six airbags, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, ABS, EBD, traction and stability control and daytime running lights.

Buyers wanting an auto version of the Access will pay a $3000 premium over the manual for an $18,990 starting price, but the upgrade also brings 21 extra kilowatts from the 1.2-litre engine – rising to 81kW – a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission and an idle-stop system.

Next up in the line-up is the Active from $21,990, which when compared with the Access auto gains a seven-inch full-colour touchscreen audio system, rear parking sensors, leather steering wheel, cruise control that is programmable via the touchscreen, front fog-lights, electric folding mirrors, body coloured door handles and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The Allure is next at $25,990 and over the Active it adds dual-zone climate control, sat-nav, a self parking system, front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights, auto-dimming rearview mirror, mesh sports cloth trim, and various chrome highlights inside and outside.

Following on from its introduction of the 308 and the 508, Peugeot is offering the 208 in GT-Line guise which brings exterior and interior flourishes, including 17-inch alloys, privacy glass, sports bucket seats with a red top-stitch, leather and chrome steering wheel, front passenger seat height adjustment, chrome exhaust tips, GT-Line badges, GT-Line piano black and red gloss interior highlights and red stripe seatbelts and black mirror shells.

The GT-Line is priced from $27,990.

The Active, Allure and GT-Line are all powered by the same 81kW 1.2-litre three-pot and come with the six-speed auto as standard.

Peugeot Australia has dropped the Allure Premium variant, but is offering a number of the features from it as options. Depending on the variant, buyers can add metallic paint, textured paint, a reversing camera, a reversing camera with an autonomous braking function, navigation, a panoramic sunroof, 17-inch alloys or leather front seats with heating.

Topping the range as it did before is the spicy three-door 208 GTi from $30,990, which represents a $1000 premium over the outgoing version.

It does, however, bring a revised 1.6-litre Euro 6 turbo engine – recently seen in the GTi 30th Anniversary Edition – that ups the power from 147kW/275Nm to 153kW/300Nm. It is matched solely with a six-speed manual.

Over the GT-Line it features 17-inch Carbone alloy wheels,, chrome headlights with GTi lettering and Led signature, unique front and rear bumpers, rear spoiler, dual chrome exhaust tips, sports bucket seats in Nappa leather and mesh cloth trim and GTi badges and identity plate, but it loses the front parking sensors and automated park assist of the GT-Line.

Australian fuel economy and performance figures are yet to be released but will likely be made available at the media launch later this month.

New Peugeot 208 pricing*

Access	$15,990
Access (a)	$18,990
Active (a)	$21,990
Allure (a)	$25,990
GT-Line (a)	$27,490
GTi	$30,990

*Excludes on-road costs