Opel/Vauxhall Corsa F vs. Peugeot 208 II

The little city car from Opel/Vauxhall, the Corsa, underwent a full model change and gone are the days when every bits and bobs of the Corsa uses parts from the General Motors dustbin because with Groupe PSA now under the control of Opel/Vauxhall, the all-new Corsa is now matured with new looks, features, and performance fit for city-dwelling Europeans.

2020 Opel Corsa

2020 Vauxhall Corsa

The new Corsa, starting at 13,990 Euros (15,750 Pounds) plus on road costs, marks a bold departure from past General Motors-era generations because with the new model running on every bits and bobs from the PSA dustbin, it's now the biggest Corsa ever made and despite its enlarged size, it still delivers its city-class car charms customers enjoyed.

2020 Opel Corsa

2020 Vauxhall Corsa

Starting with the design, the new Corsa looks very matured compared to the previous model it replaces. From start to finish, top to bottom, you can really tell how much of an adult contemporary the new Corsa is and despite its serious character, there is a little spark of playfulness this little car can give but more with that later on because it's time to observe the new interior.

2020 Opel Corsa interior

2020 Vauxhall Corsa interior

Like the outside story, the interior is surprisingly matured and with all of the high-tech stuff implored in the dashboard, speedo boys will be having a hard time toying around with the irreplaceable touch screen and if by irreplaceable, it is and speedo boys are running scared right now. At the hands of a yuppie, the new interior feels like a bedroom desk on wheels and whether if its for business and for pleasure, rest assured that such size results to more room for five people as well as its decent boot space fit enough for today's thrift store trip. Give credit for the French owners as they did a good job recreated the Corsa from scratch and it's about as European as any European city class cars can get. What about the playful character underneath its skin?

2020 Opel Corsa

2020 Vauxhall Corsa

Because it now runs on every bits and bobs from the Groupe PSA storage bin instead of General Motors', the new Corsa, despite its big size, still as playful as any other city cars on the road today and it feels just right to twist and turn. You can really unwind anywhere you want when you need it most and such dynamics really made the new Corsa something to toy around but for going home after a long day at work, rest assured that the wide range of safety tech keeps the new Corsa at bay and they can be either surprising or annoying, depending on who's behind the wheel.

Powering the Corsa is a choice of a 1.2L petrol engine and a 1.5L diesel engine, the one to avoid for today's Europeans. The most powerful version is the one bearing 130PS of power, 230Nm of torque, and with the 8-speed AT, it does 0-100kph in 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 208kph.

For anti-diesel and anti-petrol Europeans, there's the first-ever Corsa-e with the 100kw electric motor bolted to a Li-ion battery capable of a 0-100kph time of 8.1 seconds and a limited top speed of 150kph. Not only it's the most powerful Corsa offered, it's also the fastest accelerating Corsa and the cleanest. Only downside though that it's slower than the diesel-powered Corsa and bulky to drive but such weight didn't matter a bit for the Corsa-e because it still behaves just like city cars on the road.

The new Corsa no longer behaves like the Corsas of yesteryears because despite its matured looks, tech, and features, its city car performance shows that it has a spark of playfulness lurking beneath its skin. In fact, so playful, this new model reminds us of its blood relative...only French.

2020 Peugeot 208

2020 Peugeot 208

This is the second-generation Peugeot 208. Costing 15,500 Euros plus OTR, this new model offers the same stuff that you get from the new Corsa but with a more serious styling that is all work and all play for the drivers looking for the ideal city-class car.

2020 Peugeot 208

2020 Peugeot 208 interior

Just like the Corsa, the new 208 offers a choice of a 1.2L petrol engine and a 1.5L diesel engine, the one to avoid of course. There's even an e-208 with the 100kw electric motor bolted to a Li-ion battery capable of a 0-100kph time of 8.1 seconds and a limited top speed of 150kph.

In terms of dynamics, the new 208 behaves just like the new Corsa so there is a slight difference between the two, making things complicated for those looking for a city-class car that is matured but playful on the inside.

In short, these two models are nothing but a stalemate to some because although they look different, they share the same mechanical stuff and they're like the left and the right Twix all over again. So, it's your choice, really. Would you rather go German or French? The choice is yours.

Photo: Opel/Vauxhall/Groupe PSA

GT SPORT: Renaissance du mythe

It's time to introduce one of the cars that are certified "Gran Turismo exclusive" in the new GT SPORT video game on the PlayStation4 and one of these certified "Gran Turismo exclusive" cars is none other than Peugeot's return to the hot hatch battle, the 208 GTi.



Yes, really, this is the new Peugeot 208 GTi, a grand return to form from a company that is stuck making dreary boxes for too long. In other words, for the first time, a Peugeot that can really make your heart pulse. By reviving the GTi nameplate as seen from the mythical 205 GTi, the 208 GTi tries draw some inspirations from a legendary hot hatch in terms of driving characteristics and by a margin of a doubt, it is.



It's light, it's easy to drive, and in this all new "208 GTi by PEUGEOT SPORT", it's surprisingly very spritey indeed. The pre-facelifted 208 GTi has a 1.6L THP engine that produces 200PS of power output. This facelifted version has 208PS of power, 8 more than the old one, and 300Nm of torque. This results to a 0-100kph time of 6.5 seconds, .5 seconds quicker than the old 208 GTi, while retaining its 230kph of top speed.

Apart from that, the 208 GTi by PEUGEOT SPORT draws some cues from the limited-edition 208 GTi 30th Anniversary special variant such as the Torsen limited slip differential, recalibrated ESP and traction control that you can have it on or off on the go, redefined suspension geometry for lower centre of gravity, recalibrated steering, and new damper settings and spring rates, resulting to a hot hatch that is proven to be better than the best and for Gran Turismo fans, this is good news because if you have many things to hate about a hundred thousand or a million dollar supercar or an overpowered muscle car, consider this hot hatch one of the many things you'll love about GT SPORT.

So go on then, get giddy, you know you wanted to drive this hot Peugeot. Even I always wanted to drive a hot Pug like the 208. It's time to demonstrate just how much you'll love about the 208 GTi on a drive round Tokyo. Let's do this.



Impressed? I bet you are because with cars like these, there's no doubt you would definitely want to come back playing GT SPORT for some GT-exclusive rides like the 208 GTi.



Always wanted to say this but here goes, ahem, the Peugeot 208 GTi - A GRAN TURISMO EXCLUSIVE CAR.

Peugeot 208 XY

If you're a female and you had a name starts with either a Candace or a Bea or a Wendy, I might be thinking that the car I'm about talk is wrong about calling this one a car targeted for the females but Peugeot says it isn't. So, what is it about?

2014 Peugeot 208 XY

2014 Peugeot 208 XY

This is the XY, the Peugeot 208 XY and by the looks of it, think of the Peugeot 208 XY as the gender-swapped version of the hot Peugeot 208 GTi. Kinda like the gender-swapped episode of my favorite cartoon where there was a young girl and a talking cat out for adventures. I didn't like that episode though.

Anyway, the XY model doesn't seem to be quite obvious to look at but because this is more of a gender-swapped version of the 208 GTi, even though they're both available exclusively in three door variants, I don't think that there are many boys to like this car much like the gender-swapped episode of my favorite cartoon. Guess those who saw that episode kinda liked it but how likeable is the 208 XY?

2014 Peugeot 208 XY interior

It's like the normal 3-door version of the 208 but the XY gives the 208 a sense of poshness like for instance, this specially-designed grille, the XY badge at the back and the sides, the exclusive Purple Night color, the beige-colored dashboard on the interior and a choice of four seat colors especially the ones with Alcantara. Although not a fan of Alcantara because by the moment I touch those, it feels like a bathroom carpet every time I rubbed my hand on it gently. That's seems to be posh to me and then the touchscreen as seen on the normal 208 retains, making it a well-suited suitor with the computer geek in mind.

The added poshness on the 208 XY seems to be rather interesting but how about being a driver's car? Well, for starters it has the similar handling capabilities as the hot 208 GTi so by the time it faces a corner, it really sips it up like a Chinese soup where you'll add just one egg. Yummy.

And then there's the engine choices and for the XY model, it's available in either a 1.6L e-HDi in two configurations, and a tamed and underpowered version of the same 1.6L THP engine that powered the 208 GTi. When I said underpowered version, yep, that 1.6L THP engine develops 154bhp of power. It may not quite be an alternative to the hot 208 GTi but as a driver's car, it's worth noticing and enticing.

2014 Peugeot 208 XY

Love it or hate it, the 208 XY from Peugeot is worth an attractive city cruiser made for the fashionistas and for me, because I didn't like the gender-swapped episode of...well you know what show it is, I didn't like it. I like the way this car stays classy but not a lot because consider this, gender-swapped stuff is blatant and rubbish. Much better, don't just swap genders or feature some gender-swapped stuff for your own viewing pleasure, keep it that way. I would rather go for the 208 GTi than this because it's worth character-building than the XY and overall, it's more fun.

Available colors: Blanc Banquise, Spirit Grey, Noir Perla Nera, Dark Blue, and Purple Night.

PRICE LIST:
1,6L e-HDi FAP 92ch BVM5 - 21,900 Euros
1,6L e-HDi FAP 115ch BVM6 - 23,100 Euros
1,6L THP 155ch BVM6 - 22,050 Euros

Photo: PSA Peugeot Citroen

Renaultsport Clio/Lutecia IV 200 EDC vs. Peugeot 208 GTi

2014 Renaultsport Clio 200 EDC

Welcome everyone to the brand new Renaultsport Clio RS 200 EDC. Renault claims it that this is the most technologically advanced Clio ever made for the enthusiast and by far out of being the most confusing Clio ever made even though it was based on the fourth-generation Clio (Lutecia in the Japanese market).

At first glance, it's no longer a three-door because Renault thrown the world a curve by making it available exclusively as a five-door model and that seems to be odd to be a hot hatchback that turns into a family-oriented machine. How did that happened? Five doors? That seems inappropriate for a car like this and for the worse of it, the hot-hatch favored 6-speed manual has officially dropped and replaced by a dual-clutch transmission called EDC that some say it's relatively quicker to shift than manuals. I know, that's how dual clutch transmissions work but seems to me that it's getting a bit more advanced than being an old-school hot hatchback suitable for the top dog.

There's also another transition to the new Clio because the naturally-aspirated 2.0L engine has now been thrown away for good and replaced with the 1.6L DIG TURBO engine that you may normally find it in the Nissan Juke but for the Renaultsport Clio though, this produces about 200PS of power and 240Nm of torque. 200PS? That's the same as the old 2.0L NA engine it replaces and that could only mean one thing...This new model ain't even BOVVERED. Zero to 100kph takes about 6.7 seconds and flatout in 225kph, meaning that this car is faster than the old model and despite the added doors, this car is 36kg lighter!

2014 Renaultsport Clio 200 EDC

Even with a downsized engine and the transition to a dual-clutch transmission that can be operated via paddle shifters, the new Clio RS 200 EDC really ain't even BOVVERED at all and the way it handles the corners, it sure knows how to corner very well. No matter the kind of corner is, this car ain't even bovvered. It kinda reminded me of a character that ain't even bothered. Face? Look? Bovvered? I AIN'T BOVVERED!!!! He he he he....That gets me all the time. And oh! Something tells me about this new model though. In a coming weeks, there's an app on the Renault's R-Link system and this app mimics the sound of several high-performance engines and plays them back via the car's own loud speakers. There were seven noises available while the three noises were made specifically for this model. There was the Alpine A110 noise which mimics the glory road of the legendary Alpine machine, the Renualt 8 Gordini that mimics the sound of the legendary Gordini, and then the Nissan GT-R noise that brings the sound of Godzilla to the Clio. That seems cool and you can even amuse your friends with that. Ho ho!

2014 Renaultsport Clio 200 EDC

Surprisingly though, this new Clio RS 200 EDC, just like its normal Clio brother, has all of the gadgets that you'll find it more addicting if you're a tech savvy kind of driver and with the new version of the R.S. MONITOR, this is a serious negotiator when you're using it on track days.

Overall, I can always forgive about those transitions, I'm starting to fall in love with this high-performance version. The Renault R-Link is what grabs my attention because I'm a tech-savvy kind of person and this made me addicted to it while thrashing around the new Clio RS EDC on the road or on track days. Guess I'm getting myself a Little Man Syndrome because that car made me turned into a kid in my mind every time I'm getting obsessed with this car.

However, if there's something even more addicting, I wonder, how come there's another hot hatch that is about as addicting as the new Clio RS? Talk to this hot hatch that I'm going to feature it...

2014 Peugeot 208 GTi

This new Peugeot 208 GTi seems to be somewhat an upperclassman's choice if he didn't like the Renault Clio RS EDC. Sure, it has the same 1.6L turbocharged engine as the Clio but unlike the Clio RS that has the dual-clutch, the 208 GTi's best served with an old-school 6-speed manual transmission. Unlike the Clio RS EDC, the 208 GTi is 3-door only and that's what I called it a proper hot hatchback. Amazingly though, while the Clio RS does 225kph, the 208 GTi does 230kph, that's about 5kph quicker than the Clio RS EDC!

The reason why the 208 GTi is quicker than the Clio RS EDC is because it's lighter. With a compact sizing, it seems that the term "small and light" is best describes it. Seems that the 208 GTi tries to win my heart better than the Clio RS EDC and you know what, this car says that it tries to capture the magic and the essence of the legendary 205 GTi, the hot hatch that made Peugeot jumped through a shot of fame in motorsports.

2014 Peugeot 208 GTi interior

By the moment you drive the 208 GTi, you'll get the sort of feeling that it tries to learn the moves that the 205 GTi does in the past decades. Because this car signals the return of the GTi marque on Peugeot and not to be confused on the VW GTi, this would be the trump card for PSA Peugeot-Citroen to get things right in the midst of poor performance in sales, shares, and marketing since the Euro Debt Crisis hit hard on European carmakers. However, can the new 208 GTi work? Spoilers...

2014 Peugeot 208 GTi

You've been given a choice; the Renault Clio RS 200 EDC is a tech-savvy high-performance road runner that is good enough for everyday use because of its five-door exclusivity and it's a track-eater that feels like here comes Pac-Man eating every dot in a maze. The 208 GTi from Peugeot though, it's a very serious machine made for the very serious enthusiast who sometimes his seriousness may wore off completely and become completely nuts when he got enslaved by its tech-savvy gadgetry and performance. So, the question is, which of these two French hot hatches is your pick? You decide...

Peugeot 208

It maybe somewhat undignified as a direct replacement to the aging 207 but the brand new Peugeot 208 is all about letting your body drive away from your boring everyday moments. This is how you want to let your body out and go through bigger and better things. It's available in 3-door and 5-door models.

2013 Peugeot 208

The design of the Peugeot 208 derived from Peugeot's new design DNA first applied on the 508 and the 308 minor change. This provides more charisma and more flair but because this is French, it's somewhat too quirky to look at it. Hey, it's France and quirky brilliance is their design taste. What I'm looking up now is a design that is truly Peugeot identity that will stand out the rest and the new 208 progresses it even further.

2013 Peugeot 208 interior

On the interior, it's all about being luxurious but the best part of the 208's interior was it's iPad-like touch screen. Last year, I was amazed by having fun with the iPod-style "touch panel audio" on the third-generation Suzuki MR Wagon but now, the Peugeot 208, the iPad-style touch screen is much better to play with than the MR Wagon's "touch panel audio". This feature provides me some access to the following features such as radio, Bluetooth hands-free kit or playing music files via a USB connection or audio streaming. It also has access to reasonably priced navigation, which is less than 500 euros, placing it in a very competitive position in the motor vehicle domain of on-board navigation systems. Guess I have found myself my new companion...

The Peugeot 208 has a list of diesel engines available;

- 1.4l HDi PEF 50 kW (68 hp), 160 Nm, 5-speed manual gearbox; CO2: 98 g/km
- 1.4l e-HDi PEF 50 kW (68 hp),160 Nm,5-speed piloted gearbox,Stop & Start; CO2: 87 g/km
- 1.6 l e-HDi PEF 68 kW (92 hp), 230 Nm, 5-speed manual gearbox, Stop & Start; CO2: 98 g/km
- 1.6 l e-HDi PEF 68 kW (92 hp), 230 Nm, 6-speed piloted gearbox, Stop & Start; CO2: 98 g/km
- 1.6l e-HDi PEF 84 kW (115 hp), 270/285 Nm, 6-speed manual gearbox, Stop & Start; CO2: 99 g/km

It also has a list of gasoline engines available;

- 1.0 l VTi 50 kW (68 hp); 95 Nm, 5-speed manual gearbox; 99 g/km
- 1.2 l VTi 60 kW (82 hp); 118 Nm, 5-speed manual gearbox; 104 g/km
- 1.4 l VTi 70 kW (95 hp); 136 Nm, 5-speed manual gearbox: 129 g/km
- 1.6 l VTi 88 kW (120 hp); 160 Nm, 5-speed manual gearbox: 134 g/km
- 1.6 l THP 115 kW (156 hp), 240/260 Nm, 6-speed manual gearbox; CO2: 135 g/km

Part of this whole downsizing trend is the introduction of the new generation of 3-cylinder engines designed by PSA Peugeot Citroën Group and produced at its Trémery factory in France. Those 1.0L VTi and 1.2L VTi variants of the new 208 provide 99 g/km and 104 g/km of CO2. It's very eco though...

The 208 comes with numerous features for safety such as ESP, ASR (traction control), CDS (stability control), EBA (emergency braking assistance) and EBFD (electronic brake force distribution). This also comes with Peugeot Connect SOS and Peugeot Connect Assistance services free of charge and with no time limit. Bear that in mind that Peugeot Connect SOS, currently available in 10 European countries and in more than 600,000 Peugeot vehicles, permits location of the vehicle and dispatching of the appropriate emergency services in the event of an incident.

Four variants are offered; Access, Active, Allure, and Feline, with each different engine types, features, and options offered. What's more, it comes with nine exterior colors such as Blanc Banquise, Gris Shark, Blossom Grey, Spirit Grey, Bleu Virtuel, Rouge Noir, Rouge Erythrée, Noir Obsidien, and Gris Aluminium.

My comment:
Guess this brand new Peugeot 208 won my heart with its cool touch screen feature that turns out this is much better to play with than the MR Wagon's Touch Panel Audio. This is the only feature I really love to play with. Anyway, back to the 208, the quirky Peugeot design DNA really flourished this new age premium compact car to new and exciting ways to let yourself run free and do whatever he/she likes. If I have one, guess I should start playing with this...

Photo: PSA Peugeot Citroen

A whole new compact Peugeot only knows

2013 Peugeot 208

This is a new compact car from Peugeot. It's called the 208. It will replace the aging 207 compact in 2012 Spring in 5-door and 3-door configurations.

Scoop: http://www.netcarshow.com/peugeot/2013-208/