New Peugeot e-208 GTI: the GTI badge returns as a 100% electric hot hatch

It caused a stir at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it was unveiled - and with good reason. The Peugeot e-208 GTI signals the comeback of the legendary badge to the French brand, but for the first time ever it will sit on a 100% electric model.

Yes, this pocket rocket won’t be burning hydrocarbons; it will be running on electrons instead. Are fans of the brand’s pocket rockets - and everyone else besides - ready to embrace an electric successor to the landmark 205 GTI?

We’ll need a little more time before we find out, but until then, here’s a closer look at the new Peugeot e-208 GTI.

Nothing will be the same again

The last time we saw a Peugeot wearing those three letters - the ones that have fuelled so many daydreams - was at the end of 2020, when production of the 308 GTI ended. It wrapped up largely because of emissions rules and the industry’s push towards electrification. Fate’s irony - or perhaps not - is that the return of a Peugeot GTI arrives precisely in a 100% electric form.

Peugeot has chosen to move on from the PSE badge and revive GTI instead, but nostalgia alone won’t be enough to win over enthusiasts and… customers.

On paper, it starts strongly: the new pocket rocket delivers 206 kW of power - the equivalent of 280 hp - plus 345 Nm. That’s a clear step up over its most obvious rival, the Alpine A290 GTS, which tops out at 160 kW (218 hp).

Like the A290, the Peugeot e-208 GTI is also "all up front": a front-mounted motor and front-wheel drive. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.7s, yet top speed is capped at 180 km/h - for the power, that’s on the low side…

To keep everything in check, the French marque has equipped the electric 208 GTI with a mechanical limited-slip differential, wider tracks (56 mm at the front and 27 mm at the rear), suspension with hydraulic bump stops, a 30 mm lower ride height and, finally, a rear anti-roll bar. The brakes are substantial too, with 355 mm front discs clamped by four-piston callipers.

Because it’s a 100% electric GTI, the battery and range matter. The 54 kWh (gross) pack is the same unit used in other electric 208s, but the claimed range doesn’t go beyond 350 km - better suited to sprints than marathons…

It looks the part

We don’t yet know whether the new Peugeot e-208 GTI will win people over on driving feel, handling, or even sales, but it has already made its case on styling.

The large wheels, widened stance, sporty bumpers and even the (fake) rear diffuser - alongside multiple red accents - give the electric 208 GTI a confident posture and the right visual attitude for a pocket rocket or hot hatch.

Inside, it follows the same formula. The new sports seats stand out, but it’s the red carpeting - one of the signature touches from the 205 GTI - that steals the spotlight.

When does it arrive?

Although it was revealed at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, there’s still a wait before the new Peugeot e-208 GTI reaches the road. Orders will only open at the start of next year, with deliveries beginning in the second half of 2026 - roughly a year from now.