Peugeot 108 - reviewed

The 108 is a city car which shares its underpinnings with the Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo. It’s available with a choice of 1.0 and 1.2-litre petrol engines, both of which allow low running costs but neither of which is particularly refined.

Interior

A particular feature of the 108 is that it’s well equipped, with a generous list of standard kit to keep you happy. That could be seen merely as compensation, however, for a cabin whose back seats and boot are both short on space. Up front, the cabin is nice enough to sit in. In a segment of the market that’s bustling with good quality opposition, however, the 108 has a lot to do to measure up.

The front seats are good and supportive and the dashboard controls simple and easily accessed but there’s no reach adjustment on the steering wheel. The view up front is barely interrupted by pillars and over-shoulder visibility is well above average. No parking sensors are available, but Allure models and above do get a reversing camera.

There’s plenty of headroom and legroom up front and a decent range of stowage opportunities but things are cramped in the back for adults with limited head and leg room and difficult access. The 50/50 split-fold rear seats operate easily and sit near-flat when stowed, though there is a large step in the floor when the seats are folded. The boot offers adequate capacity, but it falls well short of the best in the class. Both the VW Up and Hyundai i10 offer more capacity. The 108’s high lip makes loading awkward.

On infotainment, there’s a 7.0” media screen with DAB and Bluetooth on all but the base-spec model. The system responds quickly and is easy to use but phone pairing doesn’t support the latest devices. The 108 cabin is a sea of scratchy, brittle plastics that feel cheap but manufacturing quality is above-average by city car standards.

Handling

On the road, the 1.0-litre engine is adequate around town but struggles at speed. The 1.2 doesn’t need to be thrashed quite as hard. Neither engine is very refined; the 1.0 is particularly noisy when cruising. Comfort-wise, the 108 is too easily unsettled on rough urban roads and motorways alike. However it does damp out major impacts surprisingly well and resists floating over crests at speed.

Light steering and taut body control are ideal around town and the consistently weighted steering provides confidence but there is scant feedback from the front wheels on faster roads. There’s lots of engine noise and vibration through the controls with ever-present wind and road noise on the motorway. The ETG auto box is jerky and slow-witted.

Buying and owning

On equipment, the mid-range Active model is the most popular UK choice. It includes electric windows, touch-screen and air-con, but not alloy wheels. The Feline range-topper adds leather and climate but it costs too much.

Fuel economy is strong and road tax free on all models. The purchase price is attractive even by city car standards and tempting finance deals make it easy to pay. Peugeot is a decent performer in reliability surveys, with average customer satisfaction reports. The three-year warranty looks poor next to Hyundai i10’s five-year cover.

On safety and security, the 108 has a four-star EuroNCAP crash test rating and a good range of safety equipment as standard. Its Thatcham rating for resisting break-ins is two out of five.

Instant verdict: Plenty of kit for the money, but cramped inside and very unrefined on the road.