Skip advert
Advertisement
Car trim reviews

Peugeot 208 Allure

"The Peugeot 208 Allure adds a couple of luxuries to the hatchback, but similarly specced rivals are cheaper."

Owners Rating
Be the first to review

The Peugeot 208 Allure is placed towards the higher end of the standard 208's trim options. In Allure spec, the 208 features manual air conditioning, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, rear parking sensors and a DAB radio. That's some handy bonuses compared to the mid-spec Active trim, but the Ford Fiesta Titanium offers more luxuries for a similar amount of money.

Advertisement - Article continues below

One of the 208's party tricks is its efficient engine range. From September 2015, the 74bhp 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel engine with start/stop tech can return a claimed 94.2mpg, while CO2 emissions of just 79 grams per kilometre means that road tax is free too. Even the more powerful 99bhp and 118bhp diesel models are still under the tax-free bracket, and are capable of 83.1 and 78.5mpg respectively. The PureTech petrol engines do well too, with the most efficient being the 81bhp 1.2-litre version with the five-speed semi-automatic gearbox; it can return up to a claimed 67.3mpg and has emissions of just 97g/km. The other petrol engines have emission ratings of around 104g/km, so they're still only £20 to tax.

Since the 208's facelift in the summer of 2015, Peugeot has introduced a range of personalisation options. The 208 is the first hatchback that can be specified with 'textured paint', while the Menthol White and Lime Green colour packs add a dash of colour both inside and out.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

The 208 is designed to be an easy car to live with. The introduction of a smaller steering wheel may polarise opinion, but the 208's comfortable ride and uncluttered dashboard makes for an unintrusive driving experience. It's just a shame that the clunky touchscreen system stifles that a little.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Good points

The 208 is comfortable and quiet inside. It's a hatchback that's designed to be easy to live with and comfortable on the road, so it's perfect for buyers who want little fuss from their car.If you choose either a BlueHDi diesel or a PureTech petrol engine, the 208 returns great economy figures. A decent portion of those engines are tax-free, while the rest are only £20 per year to tax.There's a good amount of personalisation choices for the 208. Along with Lime Green and Menthol White colour packs, Peugeot offer a quite a wide range of alloy wheel designs. You can even specify 'textured paint' which gives the hatch a matte-like finish.

Bad points

The use of a touchscreen to control most of the car's interior functions may mean it's less cluttered inside, but it's an awkward and slow system to use.Storage spaces inside are below par for the hatchback class. The glovebox is particularly small, because a large portion of the potential space is taken up by the fuse box.The Allure trim is one of the more well equipped options in the 208 range, but compared to the similarly priced Ford Fiesta Titanium, dual zone climate control, a CD player and even an alarm are all optional extras that come as standard on the Fiesta. The Volkswagen Polo SE is around £1,000 cheaper than the Peugeot 208 Allure, but has a more robust interior and is almost as economical.

What you get

  • Alloy wheels
  • Folding rear seats
  • Rear parking sensors
  • Tyre pressure sensors
  • Passenger & Driver airbag
  • Front side airbags
  • Curtain airbags
  • Front fog lights
  • Manual air conditioning
  • Leather steering wheel
  • Height adjustable driver's seat
  • Front electric windows
  • AUX stereo input
  • DAB Radio
  • Cruise control
  • Automatic wipers
  • Bluetooth

Recommended optional extras

  • Automatic dual-zone air conditioning
  • Alarm

Our choice

The 208's 1.6-litre BlueHDi 75 diesel offers an impressive claimed fuel economy of 94.2mpg. It may not be quick, taking 13.3 seconds to reach 62mph, but the engine is designed to provide impressive efficiency and free road tax.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

The best small cars and superminis in 2024
The best small cars and superminis
Best cars
17 Oct 2024

The best small cars and superminis in 2024

Top 10 most reliable cars 2024
Most reliable cars
Best cars
31 Jul 2024

Top 10 most reliable cars 2024

Top 10 used hatchbacks – the best second-hand buys in 2024
Best used hatchbacks
Best cars
26 Jun 2024

Top 10 used hatchbacks – the best second-hand buys in 2024

The most reliable small cars on sale in 2024
Most reliable small cars
Best cars
21 Jun 2024

The most reliable small cars on sale in 2024

Most Popular

New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: details and first drive of the sleek executive four-door
BMW M235 Gran Coupe front quarter
News
26 Nov 2024

New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe: details and first drive of the sleek executive four-door

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s Black Friday offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
29 Nov 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s Black Friday offers

2025 Toyota Yaris announced with minor upgrades
2025 Toyota Yaris front quarter
News
29 Nov 2024

2025 Toyota Yaris announced with minor upgrades

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
21 Oct 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps
Charging station
Tips and advice
23 Jul 2024

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
Best electric cars
Best cars
16 May 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024