Peugeot 308 review

• What is it?
• IT LOOKS… STRIKING.
• HOW DOES THE CABIN COMPARE?
• WHAT’S BEHIND THE BADGE?
• What's the verdict?
• What is it like to drive?
• WHAT ARE MY ENGINE OPTIONS?
• WHAT’S RIDE COMFORT LIKE?
• ANYTHING ELSE TO NOTE?
• What is it like on the inside?
• WHAT’S THE TOUCHSCREEN LIKE?
• WHAT’S PASSENGER SPACE LIKE?
• What should I be paying?
• WHAT ARE MY TRIM OPTIONS?
• WHAT’S THE BEST SPEC?

Overview

What is it?

It’s the new 308. Peugeot has shifted over 1.3 million 308s in its 15 years on sale, meaning this new one matters for the company’s bottom line. Fortunately, its design department has (yet again) smashed it out of the park with the third generation, the best looking yet.

Peugeot’s aim is to be an ‘inventive high-end generalist’ brand, marketing gobbledigook that disguises a range of cars that are as well-engineered and robust as any of its apparently more esteemed rivals. So talk of the 308 mixing it with the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class isn’t too far-fetched, alongside C-segment stalwarts such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf. No pressure.

It’s available as a five-door hatch or SW semi-estate form. Click these blue words if it’s the latter you’re after.

IT LOOKS… STRIKING.

The 308 represents further evidence of Peugeot’s concerted push both upmarket and its commitment to delivering something palpably different. Few mainstream car companies have executed a more convincing design about-turn than these guys, and the new 308’s dramatic aesthetic keeps the faith with the quasi-concept car look of the 2008 and 3008 crossovers.

The front end positions the bold new Peugeot badge in the middle of an equally punchy grille, the long nose doing most of the visual heavy lifting. The wheelbase has grown by 55mm for more room in the rear compartment, and it sits 20mm lower than the previous model. It’s also impressively slippery with a drag coefficient of 0.28, and Peugeot has pumped up the colour palette.

HOW DOES THE CABIN COMPARE?

Plenty of noise has been made about Peugeot’s i-Cockpit interior, complete with compact steering wheel and 10-inch digital instrument cluster. The steering wheel still looks like a TIE fighter from the Star Wars universe and sits unusually (and, for some, uncomfortably) low, but don’t let it be a deal breaker until you’ve spent a good amount of time in the driver’s seat – it quickly feels natural.

Elsewhere, the central touchscreen – 10 inches as standard – has been slightly reworked with a row of ‘i-Toggle’ shortcut buttons underneath (from Allure trim upwards), which can be customised to the driver’s liking. Peugeot calls it i-Connect Advanced and it looks really smart, contributing to a cabin that is as good as anything else out there. Head over to the interior tab for full details.

WHAT’S BEHIND THE BADGE?

The range is admirably streamlined for the UK and starts with the 1.2-litre PureTech 130 or the 1.5-litre Blue HDi 130 diesel, but the big step forward here is the arrival of two plug-in hybrid powertrains, in 180 (177bhp) or 225 (221bhp) forms. Both of these are powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine augmented by a 81kW (109bhp) electric motor and a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery, and use the e-EAT eight-speed automatic transmission.

It’s far from a Peugeot hot hatch of times gone by with a clear focus on refinement and efficiency, but that’s not to say fun can’t be had – the steering is nicely weighted and it has decent body control. Head over to the driving tab for more.

Range prices begin at £24k for the PureTech 130 in Active Premium trim, with the hybrids starting from £33k. Full details over on the buying tab.

The 308 lands in a class that is absolutely rammed with talent, endless possibilities and where deals can be done even in chip-limited times. But Peugeot has rolled the dice on design, inside and out, and while this might deter the more conservative elements of the customer base, the rest of us should applaud this refreshingly emboldened approach.

On top of that there’s quality of execution, lots of tech, and more than competent dynamics – the hybrid 180, in particular, ticks most of the boxes. Not exactly a 205 GTI successor but more fun than you might imagine.

Driving

What is it like to drive?

While plenty of us cling to memories of the Peugeot’s fabled ride, handling and commitment to affordable high performance, the 308 instead majors on qualities that are probably more relevant nowadays: refinement and efficiency. It uses an updated version of the EMP2 platform that underpinned the previous model, with McPherson struts upfront and a torsion beam rear, so on paper it’s off the pace compared to the Ford Focus and pricier versions of the Mercedes A-Class.

WHAT ARE MY ENGINE OPTIONS?

We’ll get the 1.2-litre three-pot out the way first: it offers 130bhp and 170lb ft of torque, good for 0-62mph in 9.7secs, with the eight-speed auto doing its thing unobtrusively. It’s surprisingly charismatic (aka a bit vocal), but otherwise a respectable all-rounder. Up against Peugeot’s claimed 43.5-52.1mpg and with some fairly spirited driving, we managed 40mpg. Expect around 50mpg in the real world.

Onto the hybrids: we’ve spent most time in the 180, powered by a 148bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine coupled with an 81kW (109bhp) electric motor and 12.4kWh battery, which lightly stokes the embers while failing to set your trousers aflame. On a near 40-mile loop, we stayed in electric mode for about half of it, resulting in fuel economy of about 80mpg. That’s still somewhat less than the claimed figure of 213.7-281.1mpg, but as ever with plug-in hybrids, that number entirely depends on how frequently you’re able to plug in and charge.

The 225, with its slightly more powerful 178bhp petrol engine (and claimed 213.8-266.2mpg), is obviously a bit punchier, maybe even nibbling into quasi warm hatch territory, though still some way short of full GTI status. The diesel, meanwhile, is best left to high mileage motorway drivers, an otherwise gruff reminder of where we’ve been rather than where we’re going.

WHAT’S RIDE COMFORT LIKE?

It’s wonderfully quiet at motorway speeds, suppressing all but the most intrusive of surface bumps and undulations. Generous soundproofing helps – the windows are thicker and laminated side glass is available – and only a modest amount of kerfuffle around the A-pillars and door mirrors upsets the sense of calm. Especially so in full electric mode, in which the claimed range of up to 37 miles seems realistic, but even the arrival of the combustion engine is seamless.

Peel off onto more challenging back roads, and the sparkle comes off a bit, especially with the hybrid’s extra mass (315kg more than the petrol 130). But it steers briskly, turns in nicely, and has decent body control. Ultimately, there’s more fun to be had in other quarters, but the 308 strikes a well-judged compromise between ride, handling and overall entertainment.

ANYTHING ELSE TO NOTE?

A little panel and raised controller on the driver’s side takes the place of the gearstick, allowing you to flick smoothly and swiftly between drive, park and reverse. In addition, there’s a ‘drive mode’ selector that allows you to switch between various modes. On the plug-in hybrids this allows you to switch between electric, hybrid, or sport, which offers firmer power steering, optimised torque delivery, and shorter gearshift time. You’ll likely stick to hybrid.

As ever, it’s also fitted with the full suite of driver aids and as usual, the lane keep assist was the first thing we turned off. Peugeot also offers a £200 Drive Assist Plus pack which includes such innovations as semi-automatic lane change, anticipated speed recommendation, and curve speed adaptation, the latter ‘optimising the car’s speed according to the severity of the bend’. Semi-autonomous tech, in other words.

Interior

What is it like on the inside?

Let’s start with the i-Cockpit. Peugeot’s decision to reinvent the wheel here definitely takes some getting used to, but there’s no doubt that the cabin environment is as striking as anything else out there – and better to use than many. Taller drivers might struggle to drop the seat low enough in order to find a position that’s comfortable while actually being able to see the instruments, but the seats themselves are superb, especially in top GT Line trim.

A real highlight is the 3D ‘floating’ instrument cluster – standard on GT and GT Premium Lines – which projects speed just that bit more prominently than other, less useful info. It looks and works brilliantly, and the whole lot can be endlessly configured to suit driver preference.

WHAT’S THE TOUCHSCREEN LIKE?

Impressive. The graphics are crisp if not quite in the Mercedes league, but the main functions are clearly marked below the principal display and from Allure trim up you can programme a further row of toggles for your shortcuts, with up to eight drivers able to set their own profile. It looks really smart and works superbly, too.

A permanent banner at the top displays exterior temperature, aircon settings, connectivity data and the time, while there’s also voice activation, wireless screen mirroring, and two phones can be connected to the Bluetooth simultaneously. Top-of-the-range models get a 10-speaker set-up, courtesy of French specialists Focal, if that’s your thing.

WHAT’S PASSENGER SPACE LIKE?

Fine up top, but rear seat space is a little on the tight side. The 412-litre boot (361 litres in the hybrid), compares favourably with rivals, mind, with the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and VW Golf offering 380 litres, and the Ford Focus and Mercedes A-Class offering 375 litres and 370 litres respectively. You also get two big cup holders, two USB-C sockets, and 34 litres of additional storage space throughout the cabin.

Buying

What should I be paying?

UK prices start at £24k for the 1.2-litre petrol, or £33,000 for the hybrid, with monthly payments starting at around £340 and £435 respectively, on a four-year agreement with a six-month initial payment.

Rivals? An entry-level Ford Focus will set you back around the same figure, an Audi A3 from £24.5k and a VW Golf from around £25k. A BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class come in slightly pricier at around £26.5k.

The hybrid is perhaps most attractive to fleet and business users thanks to an eight per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) rate. Fitted with the optional 7.4kW on-board charger, it takes 1hr 55mins to fully replenish the 12.4kW battery using a wallbox; otherwise it’s 3hr 50mins.

WHAT ARE MY TRIM OPTIONS?

Standard equipment in Active Premium trim includes the 10-inch touchscreen, smartphone mirroring, 16-inch alloys, rear parking sensors, black door mirror facings, and LED head- and tail-lights.

Then you’re on a journey through Allure (17-inch alloy wheels, 3D Navigation, 180-degree reversing camera) Allure Premium (wireless smartphone charging, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control), GT (18-inch alloys, heated steering wheel, Matrix LED headlights, ‘claw effect’ rear lights) and GT Premium (Focal hi-fi system, heated & massaging front seats, 360-degree camera).

WHAT’S THE BEST SPEC?

The 1.2-litre petrol is plenty appealing, but if your budget can stretch that far (or you’re buying as a company car and can take advantage of the low BiK rate), we really liked the Hybrid 180, with its electric range of up to 37 miles likely more than sufficient for most drivers to get about on zero emissions.

As the entry-point to the range we wouldn’t look below Allure trim for the ‘i-Toggle’ shortcut buttons, but otherwise GT spec, with its 3D dials as standard, offers plenty of appeal. In total you’re looking at £36.5k, or £450 on lease.

Keyword: Peugeot 308 review