As the rage and rising demand for crossovers and SUVs continues, other car segments have become unwitting bystanders. Sedans are losing their appeal, and the same goes for three-door hatchbacks. The latest to fall victim to this is the three-door version of the Peugeot 208. Word out of the Dutch version of Auto Week indicates that the French automaker is no longer taking orders for the three-door hatch in the Netherlands and that the model is no longer being produced.
Peugeot hasn’t released a statement regarding the status of the three-door 208, but the writing appears to be on the wall. We did a little digging and discovered that in some of Peugeot’s European websites, the 208 is no longer listed as having a three-door version. Only the five-door model is available, and the only three-door model that the company has on the table is the 108.
The decision to discontinue the three-door hatchback could be chalked up to a number of things. Obviously, the biggest reason has to be the declining sales of the model. Sales of the five-door hatchback remain robust, but the three-door version has lagged behind completely, presumably making it dispensable as Peugeot tries to free up more money to put into the development of its future hybrid and all-electric models.
The five-door 208 is expected to soldier on, though. In fact, the next-generation model is expected to arrive soon with a new architecture and a longer wheelbase. Peugeot also plans to make it more efficient with more engine options to choose from, including three- and four-cylinder turbo gas and diesel options. A hybrid version could also arrive with the next-gen model, as well as an all-electric version.
The departure of the Peugeot 208 three-door adds another model to a growing list of three-door hatchbacks that have fallen by the wayside in recent years. The good news is that the segment itself isn’t completely dead yet. Models like the Ford Fiesta and the MINI Cooper are still around. But it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the segment when one of its stalwarts is getting the heave-ho.
References
Read our full review on the 2017 Peugeot 208.
Read more Peugeot news.