For the first time we have extensive and relatively clear footage of the brand new Peugeot 308. The new French competitor for cars like the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf seems to be a refreshing combination of the current 308 and the new 208.
The current Peugeot 308 is one of the oldest models of the Peugeot family with its introduction year 2013. Also compared to the competition, the 308 is now quite old. However, Groupe PSA has not been idle recently. A brand new set of spy photos shows the brand new third generation 308, a car that gets more than an interestingly designed exterior.
Admittedly, the test specimen of the new Peugeot 308 that is visible in these photos is still fanatically in the stickers. Yet there is already a lot to say about the appearance. The new 308 gets a relatively aggressively designed muzzle, a front where sleek LED headlights are given a place. The viewers are a bit flatter than the copies of the new 208. The tusks that Peugeot places on either side of the front do, however, correspond to those of cars like the 208, 2008, 508 and the renewed 3008 and 5008. The grille looks like As with the current 308, it has to be split into two parts, with the lower one near the bumper being a lot wider than the upper one. Not a hexagonal copy like on the new 208. The windows of the new 308 show similarities with those of the 208, especially in the C-pillar, but the previous 308 had a similarly shaped C-pillar. Not an earth-shattering change in that regard. A nice surprise: Peugeot applies an old copy of its logo to the steering wheel of the 308. Earlier we saw that old logo already used on the e-Legend. The back of the new Peugeot 308 is so covered in patches that there is little to say about its design. Probably the rear lights are connected by a black strip, just like the 208, 508 and the 3008/5008. The tailgate handle appears to be positioned relatively high. The test specimen visible in these photos seems to do without exhaust pipes, and could just mean that the electric e-308 is stretching its legs!
Yes, of the new 308 comes a fully electric version for the first time. A considerable step compared to the current model of which a hybrid or plug-in hybrid has never been delivered. This electric version is made possible by the brand new platform that the 308 uses. The current EMP2 platform will most likely be exchanged at the generation change for a completely new modular platform in the style of the modular basis used for cars such as the 208 and 2008 (CMP and eCMP). The 308 will be part of the VMP platform, just like the soon-to-be new-generation Opel Astra and the new DS 4 Crossback. There will also be a variant specially intended for EVs, the eVMP platform.
This base, which will in time also be used by the next generations of PSA’s models in the C-segment or above, is suitable for battery packs with a capacity of 60 kWh to 100 kWh. Count on an electric range of at least 400 kilometers for the e-308, although there will undoubtedly be versions available with a longer, maximum 650 kilometers of electric breath. Mind you, Peugeot indicated that it will not start using the eVMP platform until 2023. The non-electrical versions may therefore come sooner on the VMP version of the platform. There is a tiny chance that Peugeot will house the 308 on a thoroughly revised version of the current platform, but that does not seem plausible given the relevance of the model. Of course there will be regular Puretech petrol engines and HDi diesel engines again to the 308. A PSE (Peugeot Sport Engineered) baptized sports version may replace the GTi variant that we currently know.