Category Archives: NEW CARS

NEW CARS

The Next Peugeot 208 Could Change Everything

If you think the Peugeot 208 is just another neat little Euro-hatch that people in Lyon buy to park outside cafés, think again. The next one – coming in 2026 – isn’t just important for Peugeot; it’s a make-or-break moment for Stellantis, the massive automotive empire that now herds everything from Alfa Romeo to Opel under one giant corporate umbrella.

And the new 208? It’s leading the charge – literally.

The Dawn of STLA Small

This is the first car to roll out on Stellantis’s brand-new STLA Small platform, a modular EV architecture that’ll underpin everything from A-segment city cars to C-segment hatchbacks and crossovers. Think of it as Stellantis’s Swiss Army knife: clever, compact, and able to take both hybrid and fully electric powertrains.

But here’s the twist – Peugeot’s next 208 will be EV-only. No petrol, no diesel, no mild-hybrid safety net. Just electrons. And that’s a bold move when even the big players are hedging their bets in this unpredictable EV market.

Numbers That Matter

Why give this huge responsibility to a supermini? Because the 208 is Peugeot’s bread and butter. In the first half of 2025 alone, it notched up 109,146 sales, beaten only by the Renault Clio and Dacia Sandero. If Peugeot can make the EV transition work here, it can make it work anywhere.

So while Stellantis’s other brands – Fiat, Vauxhall, Citroën – will eventually jump onto the same platform, the 208 gets the first dance.

Battery Bonanza

The new chassis can swallow battery packs ranging from 37kWh to 82kWh, which is a big jump from today’s maximum of 52kWh. Expect the 208 to get one of the juicier packs, probably that 82kWh job seen in the wild Vauxhall Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept.

That would mean a proper grown-up range well north of 300 miles, maybe more – making those endless charging stops on French autoroutes a distant memory.

Power? Peugeot’s being coy, but the current 156bhp e-208 is a decent starting point. The STLA platform can handle way more though – up to 395bhp if you bolt in twin motors. A new GTi-badged electric hot hatch, anyone? Don’t rule it out.

Inside the Electric Future

If the drivetrain sounds radical, the cabin is about to go full sci-fi. Peugeot’s Polygon concept, due to debut in November, will preview the new car’s tech-laden interior. Out goes the familiar small round steering wheel and in comes something straight off a spaceship – a rectangular “Hypersquare” controller connected to a steer-by-wire system.

Yes, you read that right: no physical steering column. Just sensors, servos, and software. It’s the first time Stellantis has used this tech, and Peugeot insists it’ll bring new levels of agility and precision. And of course, it frees up a ton of cabin space.

Top that off with a 21-inch panoramic curved screen – borrowed from the 3008 – and you’ve got one of the most futuristic interiors ever seen in a compact hatch. Former Peugeot boss Linda Jackson called it “technically superior” and claimed it enhances that elusive Peugeot trademark: driving pleasure.

The Look of the Future

Outside, the next 208 will finally join the family photo. Expect design cues from the latest 308, 3008, and 5008 – with those claw-shaped LED lights, crisp surfacing, and the new Peugeot shield up front. The Polygon concept will be wilder, of course, but the production car will be a handsome evolution rather than a complete reinvention.

Dimensionally, it’s set to grow a touch – around 130mm longer and 105mm wider than today’s model – giving it a more planted stance without losing that city-friendly feel.

Built in Spain, Built for the Future

Production will continue at Zaragoza in Spain, alongside the next-gen Corsa (which also ditches petrol power). The 208 hits the line at the end of 2026, with the Corsa following in early 2027, and a new 2008 crossover not far behind.

Pricing? Expect it to hover around the current £30,000 mark, but that’ll depend on which battery you pick and how Peugeot positions its trims.

Peugeot’s not just building another electric hatchback here – it’s setting the tone for Stellantis’s entire next generation of small cars. The 208’s move to EV-only is gutsy, the tech is ambitious, and that steering system could redefine how we think about driving feel in compact cars.

If Peugeot pulls this off, the 208 won’t just be another electric hatch. It’ll be the car that proves mass-market EVs can still have soul.

Source: Peugeot

NEW CARS

Jaecoo 8: The Chinese SUV That Wants to Eat Your Kodiaq for Breakfast

China’s relentless SUV offensive shows no sign of slowing down, and the next salvo aimed squarely at Europe comes in the shape of this: the Jaecoo 8. It’s big, bold, and heading to the UK next year to ruffle the feathers of the Volkswagen Tayron (whenever that actually arrives) and Škoda Kodiaq.

If you’ve not heard of Jaecoo yet, don’t panic — you’re not alone. It’s one of the more premium offshoots of Chery, the same industrial powerhouse behind Omoda, Exeed, and roughly half of China’s SUV output. Think of Jaecoo as the brand trying to merge Range Rover vibes with a price tag that won’t make your accountant faint.

Under the bonnet sits a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot pushing out a healthy 245bhp and 284lb ft of torque, funneled through an eight-speed auto to either the front or all four wheels. Not bad numbers for a family bus, and with adaptive suspension on top trims, there’s a good chance it won’t drive like a blancmange in a hurricane.

Inside, Jaecoo’s thrown every toy in the box at the 8. You get a 12.3-inch digital dash, a matching infotainment touchscreen, and the same Qualcomm processor that keeps Volvo and Polestar systems running smoothly — promising snappy responses and fewer touchscreen tantrums. There’s also a head-up display, a massaging driver’s seat, and a 14-speaker Sony sound system to drown out the kids asking, “Are we there yet?” Ambient lighting snakes around the cabin like a nightclub in Shenzhen, and depending on how many friends you’ve got, you can spec it with five, six, or seven seats.

Pricing? Not yet confirmed, but expect the 8 to land north of the smaller Jaecoo 7’s £30k starting price. Even so, it’ll likely undercut a Škoda Kodiaq, which kicks off around £40k, while still serving up more screens, speakers, and seat massages.

The real question is whether the Jaecoo badge can carry enough clout to tempt buyers away from Europe’s SUV establishment. Because while the spec sheet screams value, British buyers can be a snobbish bunch — especially when the car in question doesn’t come with a familiar badge.

Still, if Jaecoo nails the ride, the build quality, and that ever-tricky dealer support, this could be the most convincing Chinese SUV yet. And if not? Well, at least you’ll have one hell of a Sony sound system to console you.

Source: Jaecoo

NEW CARS

Toyota FT-Me: Britain’s Smallest Revolution

Toyota’s latest project is proof that the future of British motoring might just fit in your garden shed. Meet the FT-Me, a pint-sized electric runabout that’s inching its way from concept to production reality — and yes, it could be built right here in Derbyshire.

Thanks to a £15 million investment from the UK government, Toyota’s quirky little urban EV has been given the green light for a deeper feasibility study. The plan? To turn the adorable FT-Me Concept into something you could actually buy (and possibly park inside your living room).

Microlino, meet the Sensei

Toyota is pitching the FT-Me as a rival to the Citroën Ami and Microlino, which means it’ll fall under the same L6e quadricycle regulations — a fancy way of saying “don’t expect Nürburgring lap times.” Power will be limited to a humble 8bhp, with a top speed of just 28mph.

That might sound glacial, but this isn’t about speed. It’s about smart, sustainable, low-impact mobility for the cities of tomorrow — the kind of thing you’d use to nip from your flat to the farmer’s market without leaving a carbon footprint the size of Yorkshire.

Built in Burnaston, born for the city

If all goes to plan, production will take place at Toyota’s Burnaston plant — the same site that’s been turning out Corollas for decades. The project will see Toyota team up with a trio of very British collaborators:

  • Elm, the maker of the Evolv electric delivery van (the FT-Me will borrow some of its tech),
  • Savcor, who’ll provide a solar-panelled roof capable of recovering up to 19 miles of range per day, and
  • the University of Derby, which will study how drivers actually use this titchy EV in the real world.

Toyota’s UK boss Dariusz Mikolajczak calls it “a cutting-edge battery-electric vehicle that addresses the growing demand for sustainable urban mobility.” Translation: this could be your next city car, provided your city has more coffee shops than motorways.

A £30 million leap into the small lane

This whole endeavour is backed by the Drive35 programme — a £2.5 billion pot designed to help Britain’s car industry go zero-emission. One string attached: manufacturers have to match at least 50% of the funding. In Toyota’s case, that means it’s likely putting up most of the £30.3 million total investment itself.

Not bad for a machine roughly the size of a dishwasher.

So what’s it really about?

Toyota’s been talking about the “mobility ecosystem” for years — a sprawling vision of cars, scooters, and pods that all connect, communicate, and coexist. The FT-Me is a small but significant jigsaw piece in that puzzle, a symbol of the brand’s willingness to explore every corner of future transport — even the teeny-tiny ones.

And while an 8bhp microcar might not set your pulse racing, there’s something undeniably cool about the idea of one of the world’s biggest carmakers betting big on something so small. It’s daring, it’s daft, and it might just redefine what we mean by “British-built.”

Source: Autocar