After yesterday’s leak of the first pictures of the new Peugeot 208, the French company went ahead and officially revealed its brand-new supermini that will replace the current 207 series.

The A9 project, which is the new 208’s internal designation, is very important for Peugeot as it will compete in the highly competitive European B-segment rivaling the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris.

Its significance for Peugeot is evident in the marketing tag applied by the company’s management: “Re-Generation”. The French firm’s Marketing and Communications Director, Xavier Peugeot, said: “The 208 is a new illustration of the marque’s project launched two years ago, representing a new stage in Peugeot’s desire to drive itself towards even greater modernity.”

Like the 508 family saloon and estate, the 208 adopts Peugeot’s new design philosophy, the main highlights of which include the “floating” grille, the headlights that stretch well back into the front wings and the “boomerang” style tail lamps. The 208’s profile is also more sculptured, and overall, the new Pug looks quite different from the 207 it replaces.

Peugeot will offer two body styles for the 208 straight from launch next spring. The three-door model stands out thanks to the pronounced side curve that extends all the way back to the rear lights, a slightly more sloped roofline, thicker C-pillar and a smaller glasshouse that echoes the 206.

“The strength of the 208 lies in its style”, says Gilles Vidal, Peugeot’s Style Director. “It is a real ball of energy. It has the potential to please everyone, like a popular piece of music that touches the human soul regardless of culture.”

The French carmaker is also planning replacements for the 207 CC with the folding hardtop as well as the SW estate.

Contrary to the trend that makes every new model bigger and heavier than its predecessor, the 208 is both smaller (by 70mm in length and 10mm in height) and significantly lighter (by 110kg / 242lbs on average and as much as 173kg / 384 pounds) than the 207.

According to Peugeot, the smaller exterior dimensions do not have a negative impact on interior space. Thanks to its optimized cabin design, the 208 offers 50mm more knee space for rear passengers and 15 liters more boot space.

The interior has been redesigned from the ground up featuring a reach-and-height adjustable steering wheel and, most importantly, an instrument panel that is positioned much higher than usual.

Peugeot claims that the elevated instrument binnacle along with the touch screen that is set high on the center console above the central air vents, enables the driver to gain all important information at a glance, further enhancing safety.

At launch, the 208 will be powered by a pair of three-cylinder petrol engines with variable valve timing and a capacity of 1.0- and 1.2-liters that offer low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions that start from 4.3 lt/100 km (54.7 US mpg) and 99 g/km respectively.

With diesel being very popular in Europe, Peugeot will offer three e-HDi “micro-hybrid” turbodiesels with an auto stop and start system. According to the company, the diesel range starts at 87g/km of CO2 (delivering fuel economy of 3.4 lt/100 km / 69.2 US mpg / 83.1 mpg UK) and never exceeds 99g.

On average, the 208 CO2 emissions are 34 g/km lower compared to its predecessor thanks to the new powerplants, lower weight and improved aerodynamics (Cd: 0.29).

The carmaker is keen to stress its new model’s eco-friendliness. Apart from the lower emissions, polymers used in its construction have a 25% content of “green”, that is recycled or natural, origin. According to the company, the exclusive use of these materials in the construction of the rear bumper saves 1,600 tons of fuel in fuel in manufacturing annually.

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