In the world of economy/affordable cars, automakers are doing their bests to one-up each other with each car they release. Peugeot and Hyundai are both heavy hitters in this segment, but Peugeot isn’t a global brand in the same way Hyundai is. We can wholeheartedly agree that Hyundai is one of the largest and most widespread single automakers in the world while Peugeot is really successful, but not globally.
This also translates to many of the cars these two are offering as Hyundai tries to cater to the North American market first. Peugeot tries its best to make European-marketed cars which do come with their own sets of benefits and drawbacks. In this article, we are going to compare the Peugeot e-208 vs Hyundai Ioniq and tell you which one of these two is the better car.
We are going to compare them in a wide variety of categories including pricing, battery size, range, charging speeds, power, practicality, driving character, and features. Even though the Ioniq is comparably a lot older than the e-208, used Ioniq prices are a lot lower than what you have to pay for the e-208 which does make it an enticing used car.
By the end of this article, you are going to have a broad understanding of which one of these two you ought to go for.
Peugeot e-208 – The Smallest Peugeot EV
With a starting price of £31,345 in the UK, €32,250 in the Netherlands, and €35,350 in Germany, the subcompact Peugeot e-208 electric car is at the definite lower-end of the market. For this price, you are getting a 45kWh usable batter packed into a 2/4-door city hatchback with FWD and 139hp which is good for a 0-60mph time of around 8 seconds.
You can also expect the e-208 to last between 125 and 265 miles on a full charge depending on how you drive it and the outside temperature. The 45kWh battery can be recharged using a 7.4kW AC slow charger in around 7 hours and 15 minutes while a fast 150kW DC charger can replenish the e-208 battery in around 25 minutes.
One of the more impressive things about the e-208 is its design which employs sharp lines and futuristic touches which elevate the e-208 over most of its competitors. The space on offer is adequate for the segment, but lacking compared to most cars out there, both in the seating and the trunk area.
The driving experience and standard equipment list are both really good as the e-208 drives and handles like a small sports car.
Hyundai Ioniq – The First Mass-Produced Hyundai Electric Car
The Hyundai Ioniq was discontinued for the 2022 model year which means that you can’t really buy these from new anymore. The prices of these were in line with what you have to pay for the e-208 while slightly-used as-new prices tend to hover around the €25,000 mark which is indeed an enticing prospect.
The Ioniq offers either a 28kWh battery found in its first iteration or a larger 38kWh battery that came with the last Ioniq model. As the 28kWh has been discontinued in 2019 and isn’t able to compete with the e-208, from now on, we are only going to focus on the 38kWh model. With 136hp and front-wheel-drive, the Ioniq is almost identical to the e-208.
The 38kWh battery offers you between 110 and 225 miles of range while recharging the Ioniq using a slow AC 7.2kW charger takes around 6 hours and 15 minutes. Fast DC charging speeds are capped at 44kW which means that you can recharge it in around 47 minutes.
The Ioniq does show its age both inside and out, but it does offer a lot more space in every category. The standard equipment isn’t the newest while the driving experience is fairly subdued and nothing out of the ordinary.
Conclusion – The Peugeot e-208 Is The Better Car
When the Ioniq first came out, hardly any other car could come close as that wasn’t the time when automakers were heavy on EV technology, but since then, the technology has progressed rapidly. This means that the Ioniq is already a dated car as its charging speeds, battery size, and maximum range isn’t on par with even the cheapest EVs of today.
The Peugeot e-208 is better because it offers more range, a larger battery, much better charging speeds, a better equipment palette, more options, better looks, and a more entertaining driving experience. The Ioniq is a lot more spacious and comfortable, but it simply is too old to compete.
FAQ Section
Is Hyundai Going To Offer A New Ioniq Model?
Since the initial Ioniq was released, Hyundai expanded the Ioniq range to include the popular Ioniq 5, the sleek Ioniq 6, the upcoming Ioniq 7 SUV, and a few other models as well. Hyundai did come out and say that the Ioniq is gone for good in order for newer Ioniq models to take its place.
The role of the initial Ioniq (often referred to as the Ioniq 4) was to test out the waters for all of the consecutive Ioniq models that followed.
What Is The Best Hyundai Ioniq Model?
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the most successful and best-sold Ioniq model to date because it looks great, offers good tech, good charging speeds, and is really comfortable. The comparably better-looking Ioniq 6 is arguably the better car of the two because it adds driving pleasure on top of what you can usually expect from the Ioniq 5.
The Ioniq 7 SUV is likely to push the envelope a lot further when it comes out which means that it is surely going to take the crown as the best Hyundai Ioniq model.
Is The Peugeot e-208 Safer Than The Hyundai Ioniq?
The Peugeot e-208 was never tested by Euro NCAP, but its 2019 ICE cousin did and it got a 4-star rating which is adequate, but nothing special. The Hyundai Ioniq was tested in 2016, but even then, it managed to get a perfect 5-star rating which it maintained with further improvements until it was finally discontinued.
