Why Comparing The 208 GTI To The 205 GTI Is Plain Stupid

Recently, I spent time with our Peugeot 208 GTi hot hatch and it got me thinking about a motoring phenomenon that frequently occurs: whenever Peugeot unveils a new hatch, people immediately start bleating on about the 205 GTi. Endless unfavourable comparisons will be drawn; the new hot hatch pretender won't be as good looking, be too heavy, and not as good to drive. The thing is, though, such comparisons are utterly stupid to make.

It's true, the 206 and 207 GTi models weren't amazing, but cars have moved on too much to make a comparison between the 205 and the 208 fair. Let me explain: firstly, modern crash and pedestrian safety regulations have resulted in the heavier, more bloated machines we see on the road these days. Manufacturers have to play ball with the regs, it's as simple as that.

Not only that, but buyers have come to expect a certain level of equipment and safety features in their motors. Multiple air bags, climate control, 'leccy windows and mirrors; it all adds weight. If Peugeot made a stripped-back, lightweight car with no luxuries and minimal safety equipment, only the most hardcore of petrolheads would buy it. And like it or not, that's not a huge group of people in the grand scheme of things.

Once you ignore pointless comparisons to the 205 GTi - which we first saw 30 years ago - and concentrate on where the 208 GTi stands today, the car starts to make a lot of sense. The punchy turbocharged 1.6-litre four-pot may not have the most inspiring engine note, but it's good for 197bhp. That's enough to send the 208 from 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 143mph.

It's properly capable too; the front-end offers plenty of grip, and you have to be driving in a pretty stupid committed manner before you start to upset the traction control. The steering could do with more feedback, but it's nicely weighted at speed.

Moving inside, you're presented with a set of comfortable and supportive leather seats. The seven-inch touchscreen navigation/entertainment unit is incredibly clunky to operate and will soon give you the urge to wallop it with the nearest blunt object, but there are lots of well thought-out details in the interior that make up for it. For instance, like the rest of the 208 range, the steering wheel is deliberately on the small side (though the 'because racecar' flat bottom won't be to everyone's taste), making it easier to attack the bends.

Meanwhile, the instrument cluster sits higher than you'd expect - with an additional speed readout on a screen between the dials - so you just have to glance down from the windscreen, rather than perilously peer through the steering wheel. Doesn't sound like much, but when these things combine, it makes a noticeable difference to the driving experience.

All sounds very promising, but what if you pit the 208 GTi against the car you should be comparing it with; the Ford Fiesta ST? It's become the benchmark for small hot hatchbacks, and unfortunately, the 208 just isn't as good. The ST may be a little down on power in comparison to the Pug with 179bhp, but it's much better to drive, and offers a lot more driver feedback. It feels better-built than the 208, and at £17,995 for the higher spec ST-2 version versus £18,895 for the Peugeot, it's cheaper too.

At this point you're probably thinking that the 208 GTi is just another hot hatch failure from Peugeot. But you'd be wrong. Yes, it may not quite stack up to the greatness of the Fiesta, but that's more a measure of just how good the little ST is. It's the best hot hatch Peugeot has put together in years, and like the upcoming RCZ-R, it proves the company is at last thinking on the wavelength of us petrolheads. That can only be a good thing.