• Reasonable room in the back
• Middling boot space
• Five-door body only

How much space is there?

Given the compact nature of the 208 you won’t be surprised to hear it’s hardly palatial in the back. Tall passengers will struggle behind an equally lofty driver, but everyone else will do okay. But there are other small cars with more room inside than the 208, most notably the SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo – something to consider if you have a growing family.

There are cut-outs in the rear of the front seats to improve leg room but as these are plastic-backed, they’re not hugely comfortable to rest up against. Headroom is adequate though if you’re less than six-feet tall.

Boot space and storage

The boot is also a generous 311 litres and that’s whether you pick a conventional engine or the EV – giving you more space than the Ford Fiesta and the Citroen C3, but less than a Renault Clio.

As for interior storage, it’s not perfect. Peugeot doesn’t re-site the car’s fusebox when it builds right-hand drive cars for the UK market. Instead, it eats into the glovebox, leaving a very narrow space that’s really only useful for small objects. You do get two deep cupholders in the centre, though, plus a very useful phone compartment ahead of the gearlever.

Lay the phone flat, and on higher models it’s a wireless charging pad that can be hidden away to prevent distractions – but the lid also flips down with a rubberised lip that holds the phone right in view, ideal if you’re using it as an impromptu sat-nav. Storage includes an underarm box between the front seats, a tray in front of the gear lever, and a lidded box above it, which springs open with a slight prod.

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Is it easy to park?

The 208 is compact for a supermini and visibility is more than adequate, so it should fit in most spaces with little effort from the driver. All models also get rear parking sensors, with a camera system also available.

Safety

• Four star Euro NCAP rating
• Lots of safety tech on offer
• Adaptive cruise down to a stop

The Peugeot 208 comes with a host of passive and active safety systems, including airbags for the front passengers, curtain airbags and two Isofix points in the rear. This is an impressive equipment tally, but because Euro NCAP concluded that passengers are only adequately protected in a collision it scores a disappointing four-star overall rating.

Standard equipment includes:

• Hill start assist
• Peugeot Connect SOS and assistance
• Cruise control and speed limiter
• Lane keeping assist
• Speed limit recognition
• Driver attention warning
• Automatic headlights
• Autonomous braking with pedestrian detection

Allure models add front and rear parking sensors and reversing camera. GT adds autonomous braking with night and cyclist functions, and full LED rear lights. A parking pack with front and rear cameras plus blindspot monitoring is optional on Allure and GT.