The GTi badge is coming back to the Peugeot 208 – but instead of the light hot-hatch that we all know and love, its reintroduction to the Peugeot brand comes in the form of a souped up electric vehicle (EV).
Through an interview with Autocar, Peugeot Chief Executive Officer, Alain Favey, confirmed that the GTi badge will be returning as a sportier version of the e-208 hatchback, and will be making its official debut on the 13th of June.
The electric 208 GTi will be set to compete with the Alpine A290, which is a hotter version of the Renault 5, now branded under the French carmaker’s performance sub-brand. Favey said that the e-208 GTi is a “signal” about “what it means to reconnect to our past, our history”.
The reintroduction of the GTi badge will link the brands previous involvements in motorsport—particularly the World Endurance Championship, where Peugeot is racing the 9X8 hypercar.
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Fans of the 208 GTi might be hesitant about an electric version, but at least a fully internal combustion engine (ICE) 208 GTi isn’t entirely off the table – even though it might not be here anytime soon. Favey said, “We don’t exclude that there might be other executions of the 208 GTi under the GTi badge. But for today there’s absolutely nothing planned in that sense.”
“We want to continue to nurture the reputation of the brand for driving sensations and the fact that our cars produce particular driving sensations, either as a driver or as someone that is being driven in the car,” he added.
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For now, no information about the upcoming Peugeot 208 GTi has been made available yet, but it could be based on the Fiat Abarth 600e that is built on the e-CMP platform that the two models share, courtesy of their Stellantis links.
That car features a single front-mounted motor paired with a Torsen limited-slip differential, producing 237 hp and accelerating from 0-100 km/h in just 6.2 seconds. The Abarth is, of course, a crossover, so the smaller footprint and lighter weight of the upcoming e-208 GTi could mean that it’s possible for a century sprint within six seconds.
The Abarth 600e is also available in Europe with a “Scorpionissima” variant, which alongside the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, brings the motor’s output up to 281 hp. That much poke in a small hatchback? Well, that’s certainly a statement for the electric hot hatch…
