The Big Return: Peugeot e-208 GTi

The French brought back the legendary Peugeot GTi, as if this whole thing should be a great event, but personally I cannot express full excitement, because the French brand adapted everything to the electric era and declared that the new GTi is "responsible". At first glance, this word might sound boring and overly politically correct, but there is really no reason for skepticism. Peugeot e-208 GTi is built with full seriousness and dynamic ambitions, it has 278 horsepower and needs just 5.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. Hmm, for an electric car, it is very slow. Its top speed reaches 180 km/h. It feels like the French forgot to add salt.With the appearance of the e-208 GTi, the market became even hotter and more competitive. Peugeot put the best resources of its engineering into this battle and trusted the development of the car directly to the Peugeot Sport team.Visually, the e-208 GTi grabs attention instantly. Peugeot Sport engineers widened the front axle by a whole 56 millimeters, lowered the ground clearance by 30 millimeters, and set the wheel angles more aggressively. 18-inch wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires fit perfectly into the pronounced arches. The look of the car is not overly overloaded, nor is it futuristic. The bumpers are moderately muscular, while the elegant rear spoiler is no fake decoration. It provides good aerodynamics. The only disappointing detail is that the designers did not fully use the chance to make more of a connection with the 80s 205 GTi and bring the legend back to life. They could have at least made the taillights look like the iconic model.In the interior, the French did not hold back on emotions: as soon as you open the door, bright red seatbelts and sport seats catch your eye. However, Peugeot's signature i-Cockpit concept in a small hatchback is still not comfortable for tall drivers. Setting the steering wheel so that it doesn't cover the digital instrument panel is quite hard. In addition, the back seats are quite narrow and are mostly intended for children, although the boot volume meets class standards. And finally, the sport seats do hold the body perfectly, but the driving position remains a problematic issue.On the roads, the new Peugeot e-208 GTi is so good to drive that I would compare it to an angry hornet. Its small steering wheel reacts directly to any sharp movement of the driver. Peugeot Sport's decision is interesting: in Sport mode, you can completely turn off the regenerative braking system. The car does not use electric motor braking when you release the gas pedal, which allows the driver to control speed using only the traditional hydraulic brake. This is great news for traditional driving lovers, though unfortunately, the brake pedal feel is a bit soft and less informative.In real conditions, especially if we drive in Sport mode, the range of the e-208 GTi is about 250-260 kilometers. This figure, as well as its 100 kW fast charging capability, puts it in the category of cars that are more suitable for "weekend fun" or short distances in the city, rather than going on long trips. Yes, it will be useful for you in traffic-filled Tbilisi. You will go to Kakheti with friends and to Kutaisi too, but to get to Batumi, charging in Kutaisi is necessary.Despite this, the Peugeot e-208 GTi is a very characterful, emotional to drive electric hot hatch carrying a true sporting spirit. It managed to show that even in the electric era, it is possible to create a car that gives the driver real pleasure from driving. As for the price: the new Peugeot e-208 GTi costs 39,650 Euros (according to today's national exchange rate, it is 115,246 GEL). It is definitely not cheap, but it is an interesting car and personally, I prefer it to a Chinese car.