Peugeot's New 108 Comes With Added Sophistication

How do you make a small car look premium?

That was the challenge facing Ivo Groen, project design director at Peugeot Design, and his team as they collaborated with Citroen and Toyota to develop the 108/C1/Aygo replacement.

For Peugeot, it was attention to detail, especially the lights at the front of the car using the "signature eyebrow" LED above the headlights and the lower daytime lights.

It was also adding trim details like the stainless steel on top of the doors. But perhaps the biggest triumph was the rear glass hatch which has the spoiler attached to it. "If we just wanted to do that for styling purposes it was too expensive, but because it improves aerodynamics we could justify it," said Groen.

The three cars all have very different personalities, he said, because of the way the fronts have been treated with Citroen going for a fun look, Toyota for a distinctive X look while Peugeot "is the most sophisticated of the three."

The car unveiled at Geneva is virtually production-ready and will go one sale across Europe in the summer with UK sales starting in July.

"It's no longer just a city car but an all-rounder," said Groen. The new 108 is just an inch longer than the current model but the same width and height.