“Can something fresher than it is fresh, more lascivious than the most voluptuous”, wrote Maarten van Roozendaal in his song Mooi. The Peugeot design department has outdone itself time and again in recent years. The somewhat dull Peugeot 308 makes way for a fresh and lascivious model.
The Peugeot 308 is one of Peugeot’s most important models, but has been snowed in in recent years. The retiring version came on the market in 2013. Peugeot was searching at the time and had just left the era where it literally had a big mouth. Models had headlamps extended far back and a huge grille, with a bumper glued to it like a bracket. Let’s put it mildly, that was not appreciated by everyone. Peugeot piled loss on loss at that time.
Peugeot briefly entered a ‘just do it’ phase. The previous 308 was designed exactly on that principle. The designers colored within the lines in such a way that there was nothing left of French frivolity. In fact, the 308 had Volkswagen Golf traits. It would be worst for the accountants. They ordered a good wine and an exquisite blue cheese, because the sales figures shot up partly thanks to the new 308. It also went well in the Netherlands, in 2015 it was our best-selling car.
The designers of the Peugeot 308 have a taste for it
Peugeot could not resist the beckoning and tempting models came out again. In 2016, the 3008 came on the market, the first car to have a more daring look. The French got the hang of it. The 2018 508 was a masterpiece. Peugeot had made a travel limousine in the best French tradition: it was chic, luxurious and refined. Then Peugeot rumbled on, the 208 and 2008 were again beautiful creations. The 308 increasingly came to be in the shadow of its own brand mates.
Until the beginning of this year photos were released of the new 308. It looked stylish, with a low grille, pinched headlights, the well-known ‘snake teeth’ as ​​daytime running lights, extended wheel arches and dark taillights with a black band in between. In the spring, the 25 centimeters longer SW was unveiled, with a slightly less extravagant rear. The 308 was back on the map. The new Peugeot logo has been given a prominent place on the grille, as if in Sochaux they want to emphasize the regained confidence even more.
Dare to choose a 308 in vert olivine or blue vertigo
Sometimes our profession looks like an exciting date: does the car look just like the seductive photos in real life? With the 308 we can even say that it is even sexier in real life. Hopefully people don’t choose the brave color gris artense (grey), but for example for vert olivine (green) or blue vertigo (blue). We do note that for our test drives, only richly equipped 308s are available, such as the GT plug-in hybrid, with 225 hp. It costs 41,930 euros, while the basic version with 110 hp ‘only’ costs 27,790. For that amount you will also be fobbed off with hubcaps…
In the expensive versions of the 308 you bathe in luxury. The interior designers apparently liked angular shapes, everything seems to have been designed with the triangle. The GT version has an instrument panel with 3D display. You can once again admire the new Peugeot logo on the small handlebars – now just as connected to Peugeot as Janny van der Heijden with a cake fork.
That steering wheel divides the world into two camps that don’t want to agree. Is it impractical or very well thought out? In the 308 we join the enthusiast camp. The steering wheel is nice in the hand and does not deprive you of the view of the instruments. Understanding the controls takes more getting used to. The Peugeot 308 has virtual buttons on the dashboard, but what you can do with them is not always logical. For example, you can switch off the air conditioning completely with the push of a button, but you have to enter the menu of the multimedia screen to raise or lower the temperature.
But otherwise it is very pleasant to sit in the front. The finish of the dashboard is formidable, the chairs are fine for every posture. Especially the silence is impressive, at a speed of 130 km/h you can still whisper soft French words to each other. The chassis offers a nice balance between sturdiness and comfort, although the enthusiast of French cars from bygone days will have appreciated a little softer. Significantly, you can choose from three driving modes: sport, hybrid and electric. No comfort…
The hybrid 308 is no less than 400 kilos heavier than the petrol versions
Despite the suspension tuning, people with a spirited driving style will not always be happy with the sporty capabilities of the 308 plug-in hybrid. With a weight of 1662 kilos, it is a bit too heavy for sickening cornering. The ‘regular’ petrol versions with 110 and 130 hp are about 400 kilos lighter and that makes them more suitable. In addition, the electric motor and the 1.6-litre petrol engine sometimes just don’t understand each other well. The petrol engine sometimes jumps in a bit abruptly, for example during a fast overtaking action. In the busy and flat Netherlands, however, you are much less bothered by this than on a beautiful road in the hilly French interior. In addition, the 225 hp 308 is lightning fast: the sprint to 100 km/h is already completed in 7.5 seconds.
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With the right charging discipline, you can save a lot of money at the gas station with the 308 plug-in hybrid. Peugeot promises that you will go 69 kilometers on the electric motor. If the battery is empty, you can recharge it while driving, for example if you let go of the accelerator pedal and put the automatic transmission in the ‘B’ position. More braking energy is then returned to the battery. The WLTP consumption of 1 to 83.3 seems impressive, but is hardly feasible in practice.
In the back of the Peugeot you sit with a front seat between your legs
You can get used to an illogical operation (or affectionately say ‘this is why I like French cars so much’) and most Dutch people do not drive like a driver, so they will give the driving characteristics a good rating. There is really only one drawback that you really don’t get used to and that is the space in the back seat. Peugeot proudly reports that the wheelbase has increased by 5.5 cm. Then you expect that you can sit well in the back. Quod non. As nice as it is in the front, it is so tight in the back seat. Adults must either give the front passengers a very sweet look or accept that they are traveling with a front seat between their legs.
Anyone who does not like that and is crazy about fresh and voluptuous models will have to wait until the beginning of 2022 until the Peugeot 308 is actually in the showroom. The choice is great. Not only between a hatchback or a station wagon (a crossover will follow in 2023, with the internal code P54), but also between different engine variants. The 308 is available with a petrol engine (110 and 130 hp) and as a plug-in hybrid (180 and 225 hp). Dieselers are not forgotten either, with the 130 hp BlueHDi engine (33,260 euros). The petrol and diesel versions are available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission, the plug-in hybrids have an automatic transmission as standard. If you want to buy the most chic 308, you should opt for the plug-in hybrid with 225 hp in the Pack Business version (44,130 euros). A fully electric 308 will be launched in 2023.
Conclusion
What will your growing children or your already struggling parents think when you swing the rear door open for them? It is a pity that the Peugeot 308 with its space in the back is a bit of a let down. Its appearance makes it the most beautiful in the class – especially if you order it in attractive green or blue. The engine choice is also huge.