The Peugeot 208 won the trophy for the best selling car in Europe

Holy 208! France would be proud of him. Voted “Car of the Year” in 2020, the little Peugeot is, in 2022, the best-selling car in Europe. With 219,000 units registered in the Old Continent, it is ahead of the cheap Dacia Sandero (Renault group, 201,800) and Toyota Yaris city car (187,000). The German compact Volkswagen T-Roc (181.00 units) and Golf (177.800) follow. These five models are ahead of the Fiat 500 (175,000) and Opel Corsa (165,300), the Citroën C3 (161,100), Renault Clio (154,000) – lost momentum in favor of its brother Sandero -, Dacia Duster (152,500) . Therefore, there are four models of the Franco-Italian-American group Stellantis in this table, the 208 and the Opel Corsa are technically identical. The Renault group has three in place, including two Dacias. Paradox: the only “made in France” of these ten cars is… a Japanese one, the Yaris, made in Valenciennes.

Mainly produced in Trnava in Slovakia, where the electric version e 208 is assembled, but also in Kenitra in Morocco and Palomar in Argentina, the Peugeot 208 is the most popular car in France (88,800 registrations in 2022) but also in Netherlands. Low and on the podium in Portugal, Belgium-Luxembourg. The total production of this model exceeded 306,800 units last year. The 208 has a very personal line to it, a very good interior presentation even though it may look luxurious, high level road characteristics and a brilliant and economical engine, with the optional Japanese Aisin automatic gearbox, which remains the most effective in this matter. level. A good pedigree. Also in the catalog is an electric version e 208 of 136 horsepower, now supported by a more powerful version (156 horsepower) and with increased autonomy. The e 208 also represents 22% of the total sales volume of the 208 in Europe, or 48,000 vehicles. A restyling of the 208 will take place in the second half.

From 19,200 euros

The 208 is available in France from 19,200 euros (75 hp Like), a very high price for a small car. A Citroën C3 starts at 16,590 euros, an Opel Corsa at 15,100, a Dacia Sandero at 11,490. The 208 of 100 horsepower is offered from 22,520 euros, the 130 horsepower for 30,020. The 100 horsepower diesel is available from 24,020 euros. The electric costs 34,800 euros in its most affordable version (136 hp) and … 40,400 in 156 hp. Very expensive for a small car. Obviously, the high price of the 208 did not harm his career in Europe.

The success of this second generation 208 follows the first version. It did sell more than two million first-generation 208s (2012-2019), after 4.1 million 207s (2006-2014) and… 10 million copies of the predecessor to the 206 (1998-2013 in Europe). Since the emblematic 205 of 1982, at least 22.5 million small Peugeots starting with the number 2 have been sold, mainly in Europe, North Africa and South America.

The brave little ones

Renault and the former PSA group (now Stellantis) have always been specialists in small, economical cars. In France, they weigh, it is true, 56% of the market. French motorists have been loyal to their brave children since the war. At Renault, the 4CV, which put the country on four wheels, was at the top of sales from… 1949 to 1955. The R4 – a versatile front-wheel drive popularly called the 4L and became the archetype of practical. car – it won in 1961 and crushed the competition from 1962 to 1965. The Citroën Ami 6, derived from the 2CV, surpassed it in 1966. But the R4 regained primacy in 1967 and 1968.

The R5, which inaugurated the era of modern European city cars in 1972 (along with the Fiat 127), then continued to dominate the French market from 1974 to 1983, before being overtaken in 1984 and 1985 by its rival the Peugeot 205. But the 205 this was in turn overtaken by the Supercinq, replacing the R5, from 1986 to 1989. In 1990, the 206 marked Peugeot’s revenge. In 2010, the Peugeot 206-207 duo succeeded… the Clio II and III duo. In 2015, it was the turn of Renault Clio IV and Peugeot 208 to compete for the first places in France. Clio dominated until 2018, when it gave its trophy to Peugeot… Since then, the lion firm still holds it. And even in Europe.