The 208 30th is the car the standard GTI should’ve been from the start. It’s sharper, faster and more fun to drive, and crucially, shouldn’t be any harder to live with day-to-day. The Fiesta ST still offers more smiles per pound, but Peugeot now has a legitimate contender in the fiercely competitive hot hatch market.
The Peugeot 208 GTi has suffered in the shadow of Ford’s brilliant Fiesta ST for nearly two years now. Although similar in terms of engine, power and price, the 208 lacked the sharp edge of the ST, always erring on the side of comfort over outright driving fun.
It’ll be interesting to see how the lower, stiffer ride handles our rough UK roads, but the 30th felt almost as comfortable and composed as the existing 208 GTi on Peugeot’s pancake-smooth test track in central France. The brilliant bucket seats provide plenty of support and the small steering wheel made it feel like a proper little go-kart on the tight and twisty circuit.The only thing missing is a short-throw gearchange, but in all honesty, it’s not far off the sweet shifting ‘box in a Fiesta ST – and always preferable over Renault’s standard fit twin-clutch auto in the Clio RS.
We completed more than 25 laps of Peugeot’s development track, driving the 30th back-to-back with the existing GTi. There’s no doubt the changes are worth the extra cash, but whether you’ll be able to get your hands on one is another matter entirely. Only 100 have been earmarked for the UK, and inside sources tell us the dealer network has snapped up nearly every single one.
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