What's all this about?

We've got an all-new Peugeot 208, a lovely-looking little thing that clearly takes much inspiration from the stunning 508. We'll see the 208 Mk2 at the Geneva Motor Show, where the big news will be the e-208.

Can I make one of those lame jokes about this being a Peugeot from Yorkshire?

No, you may not.

OK, so is the e-208 an EV, lad?

Stop it. Yes, the e-208 is a pure electric Pug. Part of Peugeot's attempt to electrify its entire range by 2023, the e-208 packs a 100kW (134hp) electric motor that's powered by a 50kWh battery, supposedly giving a 211-mile range that has been checked by the rigorous WLTP cycle. The battery is mounted under the boot, so that the e-208 has the same cargo capacity as its conventionally powered siblings, and it comes with an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Peugeot says the car can suck down an 80 per cent charge in just 30 minutes on a 100kW charger, although it'll take more than 20 hours to re-juice it from a domestic socket. A full suite of EV Services will back up the e-208, making it a tempting ownership proposition for eco-conscious technophiles.

And what of those conventional engines you mentioned earlier?

The 208 Mk2 gets a petrol-heavy line-up, with three derivatives outnumbering a solitary 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel with 100hp. For the petrol engines, the charismatic 1.2-litre PureTech three-cylinder does the donkey work, and you can have it with either 75hp and a five-speed manual, 100hp and a choice of a six-speed manual or an eight-speed auto, or 130hp and the eight-speed self-shifter. A full suite of driver-assist safety systems will include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Positioning Assist, Full Park Assist (on the eight-speed autos), Automatic Emergency Brake Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Monitoring, Smartbeam auto main beams, Speed Limit Recognition and Active Blind Spot Monitoring, albeit we don't know yet what will be standard fit and what will be optional. Exterior colours include such exciting names as Faro Yellow, Vertigo Blue and Elixir Red, while the interior will feature an evolution of the 3D i-Cockpit cabin.

Anything else?

David Peel, managing director of Peugeot UK, said: "Our work with the all-new Peugeot 208 and e-208 is a great representation of how we are pushing the brand forward to operate in the upcoming age of electric vehicles. Both the standard and electric version of the all-new Peugeot 208 have been developed to be more economical, environmentally friendly and practical for drivers in 2019 and beyond to give customers the freedom of choice without compromise. We are all so excited at Peugeot to be building towards our goal of a full electric range by 2023, and the all-new Peugeot e-208 is a great step in cementing Peugeot's foothold in the ever-growing EV market."

Matt Robinson - 25 Feb 2019