We review the Peugeot 308 from price to economy and all its features
THE new Peugeot 308 needs to be very good. It is competing in the toughest sector – family hatchbacks – which is crammed with excellent cars such as the Focus, Golf, Astra and Seat Leon.
The previous 308 neither looked nor drove well enough to be a serious contender, but the new version scores instantly with a smart new design that has a premium feel to it.
I also like the refreshingly simple layout to the dashboard which Peugeot calls the i-Cockpit.
There is no maze of dials and knobs, just an easy-to-use touchscreen which controls everything from the heater to your phone, music and online connectivity to a host of helpful apps. The driver and passengers travel in comfort and style, with smart seats and a 470-litre boot which increases to 1,309 with rear seats down.
At 4.25metres long, the 308 is the most compact in the market segment, so you get all that generous interior space AND an excellent 10.4metre turning circle, ideal for city driving.
So how does the 308 drive? Very refined, was the conclusion I came to. It really is a quiet car, both in town and on long motorway trips. It handles well, though without matching the class- leading Focus, and has a strong range of petrol and diesel engines.
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I’d go for the 1.2litre petrol which gets close to 55mpg, or the 1.6litre diesel that returns more than 70mpg.
The 308 starts at a mega-competitive £14,495 for the 1.2litre petrol. The 1.6 diesel starts at £17,895 and range-topping versions reach £24,045.
The 308 may not have the all-round driving capabilities of the Focus but it gets close enough that most buyers won’t tell the difference.