New 208 GTi is Peugeot's hottest ever hatch

REVEALED New Peugeot E-208 GTi gets racier styling, 276bhp and does 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds

- Tom Jervis [e-mail]

ONE of the most iconic names in motoring history has returned, witha splash of retro backing up its modern powertrain. The Peugeot E-208 GTi brings agile hot hatch handling, plus more power and more aggressive styling than the already mean-looking 208 supermini.

Unveiled at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans 24 race, the E-208 is the first Peugeot to get the 'GTi' branding since the old petrol-powered 208 GTi, which made its debut in 2016. Since then, Peugeot has identified its performance models under the 'Peugeot Sport Engineered' umbrella, instead.

The E-208 is certainly a return to form if the numbers are anything to go by; the new GTi develops 276bhp from its front-mounted electric motor - identical to the output of the GTi's platform-sharing sibling, the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce, and more than twice that of the original 205 GTi from the eighties.

With more power comes more torque - the GTi produces 345Nm -with the hot E-208 getting from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds - roughly three-and-a-half seconds faster than the standard electric hatch. The top speed is rated at 12mph.