IT’S HAPPY BIRTHDAY 205 AS PEUGEOT CELEBRATES WITH A WORTHY SUCCESSOR - THE NEW PEUGEOT 208
The Peugeot 205 was 'born' on 15 February 1983. It went on to become a sales success and the 205 GTi is widely regarded as one of the original and best hot hatches.
After 11 years in production the 205 GTi was retired, strangled by emissions regulations, overinflated insurance premiums and the need to release new product. It's successor, the 206 GTi, was a dismal euroblancmange with the driving dynamics of a soggy cardboard box. That was replaced in 2006 by the dreary 207 which, in GTi form, looked as though a teenager with a £50 budget had added some plastic pieces, a pair of square exhaust tips and Tusken Raider fog lamps.
But now Peugeot promise a bright new dawn for the 208 GTi and herald it the worthy successor to the 205 GTi - 19 years after it's demise. The 208 GTi has received rave reviews and all should be good once again in the kingdom of Peugeot - and 30 years later the hot hatch battles are once again being fought.
