What's the news?

The Peugeot 208 GTi has now been officially confirmed for production, and is set to debut at the Paris Motor Show later this month.

Exterior

The 208 GTi, available in three-door guise only, features subtle but sporty changes from the standard 208. From the front, the grille and fog lights now have chrome surrounds; and the headlamps now contain halogen and LED daytime running lights. At the back, twin trapezoidal exhausts emerge from a gloss black skirt, and a 205 GTi-esque chrome strip finds itself below the rear window. New 17-inch 'diamond carbon' wheels are finished with Storm paint and a matt varnish; and the rear quarter panels feature chrome and red GTi logos.

Interior

Inside, the black, red and chrome theme continues. The standard seats have been replaced by items upholstered in Club Nappa leather and Caro Weave cloth with contrasting red stitching. Red stitching also features at the top of the sports steering wheel. The chrome detailing finds its way onto the steering wheel, the dials, the air vents and around the central touchscreen infotainment system. The standard black door pulls now fade to red in the GTi.

Mechanicals

The 208 GTi is fitted with a 1.6-litre THP petrol engine coupled to a new sports exhaust system. The unit develops 200hp, emits just 145g/km of CO₂ and hits 62mph in under seven seconds. A six-speed manual gearbox is fitted as standard, as is an ESP system. Following true GTi tradition, Peugeot has also stripped weight from the 208 down to 1,160kg. Stopping the car shouldn't be a problem either, as 300mm vented disc brakes sit behind the front wheels. Steering and suspension settings have also been tweaked.

Anything else?

With 9,000 orders for the standard Peugeot 208, the GTi version should prove quite popular when it goes on sale. Prices and launch dates have yet to be announced, but expect to see it on the roads next spring.