Peugeot 208 hatchback

Small Peugeots have always been a hit with UK buyers – the 205, 206 and 207 sold in their hundreds of thousands. Now the Peugeot 208 is here and it's designed to rival the Ford Fiesta and VW Polo with a blend of style and quality. All cars get LED rear lights, electric front windows and six airbags, while Access+ add colour coded trim. Mid-spec Active cars add alloy wheels, Bluetooth and a DAB radio. Top-spec XY cars are the most desirable with special purple paint, 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome mirrors and an extended bodykit as well as sat-nav and LED daytime running lights as standard. While it certainly looks the part inside and out, with a much higher quality cabin, the 208 just doesn’t drive as well as its rivals, mainly because underneath that pretty body is an simply an updated 207 – a car commonly criticised for its lack of driver enjoyment. That said, there's a wide range of new petrol and diesel engines, including a hot 197bhp GTI version.