Peugeot's New 108 Is A Sure-Bet City Car If A Little Lacking In Sex Appeal

We were recently in Holland to drive the all-new Toyota Aygo, the first of the Aygo/108/C1 triplets. Our impressions of that car were largely positive, thanks to the Aygo’s quirky and bold styling and obvious fun factor. This week we got behind the wheel of Peugeot’s new 108, a car that’s incredibly similar to the Aygo, but not as visually stimulating.

Under the skin, the two cars differ again; while the Aygo makes do with a 1.0-litre, three cylinger engine across its range, the new 108 gets a pokier 1.2-litre triple in addition. The PureTech engine has been developed by Peugeot Citroen, and while its 81bhp isn’t exactly earth-moving, it’s definitely punchier than the Aygo’s 69bhp and still manages just 99g/km of CO2.

Styling is obviously subjective, but for me the Peugeot’s soft lines aren’t a patch on the manga-inspired Aygo. Inside they’re very much the same, however; there’s still the large plastic centre console that’ll be a pain to keep clean and the speedo and digital rev counter are a cool touch, if a little at odds with the 108’s more conservative styling.

Much like the Aygo, you get the choice of five-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. For super-frugal ownership, the 1.0 manual with stop-start is the best option; not only does the auto offer worse fuel economy, it’s also quite a sluggish unit.

The relatively noisy engine note of the Aygo has been hushed by the French firm, which makes driving the 108 more of a relaxing experience.

The 1.2 has enough about it to keep you entertained in the lower gears - despite possessing a fairly pedestrian 11.0sec 0-62mph time - and, like the Aygo, the 108 has a smooth ride and city-friendly steering weight.

The 108 is also a suitably chuckable city car but tends to lean through corners a little more than the Aygo.

Prices for the new 108 start from £8250 for the entry-level 1.0, but our pick is the £10,995 1.2-litre three door car in ‘Allure’ trim. For that cash you get air conditioning, fog lights, push-button start and even a reversing camera.

The 108’s trump card is that it’s marginally less expensive than the equivalent Aygo, so if you’re in the market for something small, economical and relaxed, you honestly can’t go wrong with the 108; it’s far less ‘in your face’ than the Toyota and does everything you’d need it to for slightly less money. If cool looks are your thing, however, it’s the manga-inspired Aygo that gets our thumbs up.