Road test: Peugeot 208

Peugeot’s best-selling model, the 208 supermini, is three years old now, so the company has been breathing some new life into a refreshed version.

There is a new range of petrol and diesel engines, the car’s looks have been sharpened up a bit, and there is more scope to personalise your car.

Of the new Pure Tech petrol and BlueHDI diesel engines, the biggest seller will probably be the three-cylinder 1.2-litre 82hp petrol version.

We tried a turbocharged 110hp three-cylinder petrol unit that performed well enough, but lacked torque in higher gears. A 120hp diesel with automatic transmission was more flexible.

There are five trim levels, some of which feature coloured grille and trim highlights in white or lime green. Externally, the 208 has slightly reworked headlamps and front bumper and a wider grille. Two handy new options are the Active City Brake system, which stops the car automatically to avoid low-speed collisions, and a reversing camera.

The additions should keep the car’s sales bobbing along nicely when they appear in September.