MOTORS
The Peugeot 108 was jointly developed, as was its predecessor, with Citroen and Toyota – a philosophy that has proven successful with other cars, and clearly works in this instance as well. Drawing from the best bits of all three motor engineering companies, the result is a striking looking car that performs magnificently.
There ' s no denying that with its curvy bodywork, sporty wheels, and trim, the 108 is a great looking car. Our test model was every more of a looker, thanks to its top-spec Purple Berry Roof, and dazzling Diamond White paint job. Sitting on four magnificent 15 " Thorren alloy wheels, and boasting some very eyecatching chrome door handles and mirrors, the 108 looks more than ready for some atypical Peugeot driving fun.
Once inside, having appreciated the very cool Open-and-Go keyless entry system, you ' re treated to a sporty, yet comfortable cockpit, decked out in stylish black Rayura cloth, with a leather steering wheel and gear knob. The 108 cranks the previous generation ' s sporty dash up a few notches, providing an LCD display panel( which also shows the view from the
reversing camera); a digital rev counter; DAB radio; and the rest of the generous gadgetry trimmings you ' d expect to find on a bigger, more expensive car.
And then, once you ' ve finished gazing fondly at the prettiness of the car, it ' s time to press the ignition button, feel the reassuring throb of the engine kicking in, and try the 108 out on the road.
Peugeot has taken the reins for developing their own 1.2-litre, three-cylinder normal aspirated PureTech engine for the 108, where previously with the 107, Toyota were in charge of the power department, and came up with what is a pretty fine 1.0-litre effort – an option that is still available if you opt for the smaller engine 108. This new Peugeot engine takes the horsepower from 67bhp( for the 1.0-litre) up to 81bhp, and more significantly gives the car a considerable increase in torque( 86lb ft at 2750rpm, instead of 76lb ft). It also allows this splendidly whizzy little car to get from 0-62mph in 11 seconds, and gives it a top speed of 108mph. Still, the 108 is very economical and clean, managing a combined consumption of 65.7mpg and emissions of 99g / km. As the motoring writer for insideSUSSEX, it ' s fair to assume it wouldn ' t look great if I damaged one of the cars I was testing. So understandably, perhaps, when I try out a car I ' ve never driven before, I like to ease myself in gently. Empty straight roads in the middle of nowhere aid this, and give me a chance to get to know the car before encountering too many other road users.
Hastings and its twisting, turning( and at times, baffling) roads, however, did not afford me this luxury. I had to pretty much hit the ground running. Or rather, hit the ground driving. So all credit to the 108; from the moment I sat in the driver ' s seat and fired up the keyless ignition, I felt very at home in what seemed a remarkably familiar and friendly car. Maneuverable, nippy, comfortable, and predictably responsive, this fabulous little car was clearly at home in a town environment. A quick three-point turn was made all the easier by great all-round visibility and the 108 ' s excellent reversing cameras, and I was off into Sussex ' s great unknown...
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