The all-new Peugeot 208 will get its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March with Peugeot revealing it will offer petrol, diesel and electric.

The all-new Peugeot 208 is longer than the old car (40mm) and lighter too (30kg) and debuts the brand’s new-generation i-Cockpit. It’ll also be available with either petrol, diesel or electric powertrains from launch and in hatchback only. There will be four model lines available, Active, Allure, GT Line and GT which is likely to be reserved for the EV.

The new 208 sits on Peugeot’s new Common Modular Platform (CMP) which is used for small cars, like the DS3 Sportback and will also appear under the upcoming Vauxhall Corsa. Peugeot claims the new platform has been key in improving the 208’s fuel efficiency, because it’s lighter, has improved aerodynamics, improved rolling resistance because of the tyres used and tweaks to the suspension and the engine range. More than this, Peugeot claims the new 208 is much quieter than the old car and will carry driving aids “normally reserved for higher market segments”.

The headline grabber is the new e-208 which is all-electric and offers 100kW and 260Nm of torque from 0km/h. This engine will, of course, offer regenerative braking but in two forms, one is called Moderate and is allegedly akin to braking on a regular vehicle and Augmented which is more traditional regenerative braking sensation when lifting off the throttle. It also offers three driving modes, Eco, Normal and Sport. It offers a range of 450km with the battery configured in an H-layout and in the same place as the fuel tank (underneath the back seats) on vehicles with an internal combustion engine.

In terms of charging, Peugeot said a conventional socket will fully charge the 208 in 16 hours via a supplied cable, in five hours via a wallbox, or up to 80% charged in 30 minutes via a public charging terminal.

In terms of the other engines offered, the petrol is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol in three states of tune and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. The transmissions range from a five- and six-speed manual to an eight-speed automatic.

The new i-Cockpit structurally is the same but functionally, Peugeot said it had made some changes to improve driver reaction, like the hologram projection of information which will appear further away or closer depending on the level of “urgency, thus increasing reactivity by around half-a-second”.

Peugeot said it’s pushing to make the 208 a benchmark when it comes to semi-automatic driving and active safety in its segment. The new 208 will feature adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist above 65km/h, full park assist with flankguard which can steer, accelerate and brake automatically when parking, autonomous emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection during the day and night from 5-140km/h, automatic high beam, traffic sign recognition and more.