Peugeot 208 GTi And XY Concepts Revealed Ahead Of Geneva Debut

Peugeot has pulled the covers from its hotly-anticipated 208 GTi, with the fast little 'Pug' making its online debut in concept form this week.

As expected, the 208 GTi Concept is powered by the familiar 1.6 litre turbocharged engine developed with BMW. The engine, which also powers the Peugeot RCZ coupe, delivers 147kW and 275Nm of torque.

In 208 form, the 1.6 litre four-cylinder turbo mill sends power to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, and Peugeot claims a flat seven-second run to 100km/h. 

While the GTi concept isn't loaded with unique styling elements, it does get clipped-on flares - a necessary addition, because the little hatch's track has been widened by 36mm at the front and rear.

The large 18-inch wheels sit in front of a performance suspension and brake package, featuring 302mm discs at the front and 249 discs at the rear.

There's also a large roof-mounted spoiler, side skirts, a faux diffuser and chrome exhaust tip, and a subtly tweaked grille design.

In the cabin, the 208 GTI concept gets a flat-bottom sports steering wheel, sports seats and an Alcantara leather-trimmed dash design.

While Peugeot has yet to announce plans for a production version of the 208 GTi Concept, CEO Jean-Marc Gales has made no secret of his plans to bring the iconic 205 GTi's reputation back to life.

Peugeot 208 XY Concept

The performance focus of the 208 GTi Concept will be balanced at Geneva by a second showcar, in the form of the 208 XY Concept.

Where the GTi is an exercise in power and performance, the 85kW 1.6 litre e-HDi turbodiesel-powered XY Concept is all about style.

The 208 XY takes a cue from its Citroen DS3 stablemate, adding pearl-grey leather in the interior and a crimson contrast stitch throughout the cabin. The panoramic glass roof also gets a black leather edging.

On the outside, the XY gets a special 16-coat paint and lacquer 'Pulsion' finish, and Peugeot says that depending on where you're standing, the pearl-like finish will run through a full spectrum of hues.