- The 1.2-liter turbo engine features a variable geometry turbocharger.
- This addresses the reliability issue by replacing the wet belt with a timing chain.
- The three-cylinder unit produces 100 hp and 151 lb-ft (205 Nm) of torque.
The death of the combustion engine has been greatly exaggerated. Bombastic headlines about electric vehicles taking over in X years have come and gone. It’s true that electric cars continue to gain traction in many parts of the world, but in 2026, ICE vehicles will still dominate. Even in the European Union, where electric vehicle adoption is increasing rapidly, electric vehicles will only account for 17.4 percent of total new car sales in 2025, according to data from the European Union. European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
Even Stellantis is facing this reality, scaling back its grand ambition to quickly convert many of its brands to fully electric vehicles. Therefore, Peugeot launched a new combustion engine designed to overcome the shortcomings of the past. Gone was the problematic PureTech designation, a source of serious concern for owners, replaced by the simpler Turbo 100.
While still using a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, it addressed reliability issues by switching to a timing chain instead of the dreaded wet belt, which was soaked in oil. Peugeot says the engine is around 70 percent new, with updates to key components such as the cylinder block, turbocharger and injection system.
Photo by: Peugeot
The Turbo 100 operates on the Miller cycle to increase thermal efficiency, using a higher compression ratio. Engineers have also developed a new valve timing system to reduce internal friction, along with a variable geometry turbocharger to improve low-end response.
The three-cylinder unit produces 100 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 151 pound-feet (205 Newton-meters) of torque at 1,750 rpm. While it won’t be an adrenaline rush, Peugeot aims to reassure buyers that reliability issues have been resolved. The prototype engine logged 30,000 hours on the test bench, while the test vehicle covered more than three million kilometers (1.86 million miles). Some covered more than 200,000 km (124,000 miles).
The 208 supermini is the first Peugeot model in Europe to receive the new engine this month, and the 2008 crossover will follow in May.
Motorcycle Pickup1: New machines are increasingly rare in an industry shifting to electrification. However, ICE is still needed considering the uneven distribution of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Pricing is another obstacle, as most petrol cars are still much cheaper than comparable electric models.
The EU’s 2035 ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars has been relaxed. Although automakers still have to reduce vehicle emissions by 90 percent compared to 2021 levels, the adjustment gives Stellantis and other companies more room to maintain sales of some ICE-powered models after the middle of the next decade.
