What's the news?
Peugeot CEO Maxime Picat has confirmed that a hardcore version of the 208 will arrive to sit "above the 208 GTi." The announcement came during an interview with Automotive News Europe and points towards Peugeot using the tried and tested Volkswagen model to move its products more upmarket.
No word yet on what kind of power output or modifications we can expect from the 208 R but with the RCZ R using a tuned version of the existing turbocharged 1.6-litre engine it seems a likely candidate. The hot 208 is unlikely to get the full-fat 270hp of the RCZ R (which would make a 308 GTi somewhat redundant) so a figure of 220-230hp is the most plausible.
Anything else?
The 208 may not be the only Peugeot model to receive the R treatment. While confirming the 208 R Picat says it "is a good example of what we would like to add to top the 308 range" before adding: "Moving upmarket with special versions of each model line is not very different from what Volkswagen does with its GTI/GTD variants."