Peugeot to revive GTi badge with electric e-208 hot hatch

Peugeot is returning its famed GTi badge, but not as you know it. This time, it’s attached to an all-electric version of the 208 supermini, marking the brand’s first foray into sporty EVs.

The carmaker’s newly appointed CEO, Alain Favey, confirmed the move and said the revival is part of an effort to reconnect with Peugeot’s performance heritage while embracing the realities of an electric future.

“Work on the upcoming e-208 GTi has been ongoing for a while,” Favey confirmed to reporters this week. “It’s a signal of what it means to reconnect to our past and our history.”

A new wave of GTi?

The e-208 GTi will be Peugeot’s first performance model to wear the GTi badge since the 308 GTi was quietly dropped from the range in 2021. Although the company is keeping its options open for now, it is also expected to serve as a launchpad for a new wave of electric performance cars under the GTi banner.

While official specifications are still under wraps, industry insiders suggest the e-208 GTi could share its underpinnings and possibly its powertrain with the Abarth 600e, Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, and Lancia Ypsilon HF – all built on Stellantis’s e-CMP platform. 

These models feature a 280 hp electric motor and a mechanical limited-slip differential, with the Abarth capable of reaching 100 km/hour in just over six seconds.

A lighter, more compact e-208 GTi could cut that time even further, putting it head-to-head with upcoming rivals like the Alpine A290 and electric Mini John Cooper Works.

Unconvincing PSE

The GTi name is storied in Peugeot’s history, dating back to the iconic 205 GTi of the 1980s. It later adorned models such as the 306 GTi and the 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport before being phased out in favor of plug-in hybrid models like the 508 PSE. But the switch to hybrids never captured the same excitement, and purists were unconvinced.

Now, Peugeot appears ready to lean back into its sporting legacy – just with batteries instead of gasoline. The announcement comes amid a broader industry shift toward electric hot hatches, with Renault dusting off the R5 Turbo nameplate for an electric reboot and Mini preparing an all-electric JCW model. Favey’s message is clear: Peugeot doesn’t intend to sit on the sidelines.

By the end of 2025

However, Favey also made it clear that any expansion of the GTi line-up will depend on how customers and the media receive the e-208. While he didn’t rule out further models, including a possible e-308 GTi, he offered no concrete promises. “We’re listening,” he said. “But today, there’s nothing else officially planned.”

The e-208 GTi is expected to be unveiled before the end of 2025. Whether it can capture the spirit of its gasoline-powered predecessors remains to be seen. But for now, Peugeot is betting that driving thrills will still have a place in the electric future.