Peugeot e-208 GTi: France’s new electric hot hatch EV is here – and is expected to cost £40,000

In 1986 Peugeot unleashed its first GTi into its range, and today it’s electrifying its high-performance hot hatch range with a brand new GTi EV.

A year on from debuting the e-208 GTi concept to the world on the eve of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2025, Peugeot will reveal the ‘definitive production version’ of its very first e-208 GTi at this year’s legendary motorsport event on Friday.

The French carmaker says it has been buoyed by ‘the enthusiastic reception the concept received from both GTi fans and customers alike’.

The e-208 GTi promises to reinterpret Peugeot GTi DNA by ‘injecting modernity, fun and technology’ into EV driving.

If you’re lucky enough to be at Le Mans this year then you can see three production e-208 GTi models in blue, white and red (‘to represent Peugeot’s French charisma’ on its 100th Le Mans anniversary) and examine with your own eyes how closely they resemble the original concept model.

But for everyone else, here’s what we know so far about the Peugeot e-208 GTi and some of the other electric hot hatches it’s going up against.

40 years on from the first Peugeot GTi, the French carmaker will bring out it first all-electric GTi model: the e-208 GTi production version will be revealed before this Friday before Le Mans

Peugeot e-208 GTi: What do we know about the hot hatch EV?

Price: Estimated £40,000

When Peugeot unwrapped the concept e-208 GTi, the iconic French brand said it will ‘offer a driving experience that is both modern and unmistakably authentic’.

As well as ‘a sporty yet elegant design’, Peugeot promises performance figures that are ‘intended to wow’.

In December 2025, Peugeot said that the e-208 GTi will be powered by a 280hp electric motor, delivering 345Nm of instant torque. It can sprint 0 to 62mph in just 5.7 seconds. Its top speed is 143mph.

How far can you go in the e-208 GTi? Current figures say up to 217 miles, which is a decent distance above the average 137-147 miles UK drivers are estimated to drive per week.

The design is intended to be as sporty as possible, with a wide stance, lowered suspension, 18-inch alloys and some signature red GTi detailing including an illuminated grille emblem and a bold, black GTi badge.

The e-208 GTi has 280hp and can sprint 0 to 62mph in just 5.7 seconds. Its top speed is 143mph

Inside expect red sporty accents: down the centre of the seats, throughout the carpeting and in the surrounding red ambient lights

Hop inside and you should feel the sportiness surrounding you with Alcantara red-striped sports seats, red ambient lighting and red carpeting to add some excitement to being behind the wheel.

The e-208 GTi has the tagline ‘a new legend is reborn’: are we the only ones who think this sounds rather like Ford’s ‘the legend reborn’ slogan for the ill-fated Ford Capri EV?

Full details of the Peugeot e-208 GTi will be released on Friday at Le Mans, and hopefully prices too.

ELECTRIC HOT HATCH MARKET HEATS UP…

Vauxhall Corsa GSE

Price: Estimated around £35,000

The Vauxhall Corsa GSE launches at a similar time to the Peugeot e-208 GTi and will go head-to-head. It has 277hp and does the 0-62 sprint in 5.5 seconds. Expect a range of 220 miles

Vauxhall and Peugeot will be going head-to-head in the all-electric hot hatch race as Vauxhall’s Corsa GSE has recently been revealed. It’ll go on sale later this year.

Another iconic small car gets ‘reborn’, and the Corsa GSE comes back to life as an all-electric hot hatch with 277hp and a 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds.

Britain’s best-selling car is sportier in its hot hatch era, with a lower and wider body than the standard Corsa, 18-inch alloys, painted brake calipers and GSE body styling.

The interior is a big sell with sporty-checked seats and yellow racing seatbelts.

Anticipate a range of around 220 miles – around the same as the Peugeot e-208 GTi.

VW Polo GTi

Price: £33,500

The first electric GTi: VW ID.Polo has 223hp and a range of over 260 miles

Fifty years on from the original 1976 Mk1 Golf GTi, VW unveiled its first all-electric car with a GTi badge.

The new ID.Polo GTi boasts 223hp from a single front-mounted electric motor, a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds and top speed limited to 109mph.

With an official range of just over 260 miles, the ID.Polo GTi can go further than the Peugeot e-208 GTi range and the Vauxhall Corsa GSE.

One of the best things about the sporty-looking electric ID.Polo GTi?

If you want a hot hatch but want family practicality too then VW has you covered with the GTi’s best-in-class 441-litre boot.

Mini Cooper SE Electric

Price: From £29,105

The Mini Cooper SE is a classy hot hatch with 218hp and 244 miles of range

With the Cooper SE Mini continues to combine sportiness with style in a package that is quite affordable to mid-budget buyers.

The Cooper SE is the Mini model you want to snap up if you’re after a hot hatch EV with a British heritage badge.

With 218hp and 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds it’s got kick as well as class, but expect a top speed limited to 99mph.

The Cooper SE has 244 miles of range, a 210-litre boot (not the best) and space for five.

The main pull though is its sophisticated design, outside and in. We especially love the 240mm OLED display – the world’s first circular infotainment touchscreen.

Alpine A290

Price: From £30,245

The Alpine A290 is a Renault 5 e-tech in performance form. It can do 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and has 220hp and a range of 226 miles

The Alpine A290 is the hot hatch version of the extremely popular Renault 5 EV.

Alpine is Renault’s dedicated sports car and performance division. Therefore, Alpine has amped up the R5 to make the A290.

What does this give you?

A great looking EV hot hatch with 220hp, 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds (slower than the Peugeot e-208 GTi) and up to 226 miles of range (more than the e-208 GTi).

The city car also comes with a decent 326-litre boot (helpful) and an F1-inspired steering wheel (fun).

Hyundai Ioniq 5N

Price: From £65,800

The Hyundai Ioniq 5N is an expensive all-electric hot hatch. It’s fast though doing 0-62 in 3.4 seconds and coming with 640h

A South Korean hot hatch EV for buyers with a bigger budget: The Ioniq 5N is Hyundai N’s first electric car and leans into track day fun. Hyundai N is Hyundai’s performance sub-brand.

At its max the Ioniq 5N can produce 640hp, hit 161mph and do 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds – all a step above the e-208 GTi.

Individual features include its N e-Shift and N Active Sound+ tech which let you ‘truly feel and hear power delivery’.

And with a range of up to 278 miles it can do more than just go round a track: that’s enough for a trip from London to Dartmoor with charge to spare.

MG4 XPower

Price: £33,995

The MG4 XPower is the cranked up version of the family MG4 hatchback. As well as a hefty 435hp and a 0-62mph figure of 3.8 seconds it has a class-leading 388-litre boot

The MG4 is MG’s bestselling EV, and the XPower is the cranked up all-wheel drive version of it.

It takes the family-friendly practicality of the standard MG4 and elevates it into a hair-raising package.

The dual motor car delivers 435hp and a 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds – even though you can still pack a family of five in and fill up a generous 388-litre boot.

Get the bigger battery and you also get 338 miles of range which makes this hot hatch also great as a weekender EV.

Cupra Born VZ

Price: £45,995

The Cupra Born VZ is a more expensive, higher-performance version of the Cupra Born EV. The Spanish hot hatch has 321hp and a top speed of 124mph

Spanish racing brand Cupra brings rally and racing heritage to Seat, sitting under the VW Group umbrella.

The Cupra Born VZ is the high-performance version of the Born EV and injects some extra life into the Born’s figures: 321hp, 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and 124mph top speed.

Improved suspension and braking and sports-tuned steering differentiate the VZ – standing for Veloz, the Spanish for fast – to the Born.

The interior selling point is the use of sustainable materials: upcycled yarn and recycled polyester sporty bucket seats.