Peugeot 308 review

It’s the third-generation 308, and a car freshly but sympathetically facelifted. Despite the crossover takeover this car remains crucial to Peugeot's bottom line. Fortunately, its design department has (yet again) smashed it out of the park: it's the best looking 308 yet to our eyes.

Peugeot’s aim is to be an ‘inventive high-end generalist’ brand, marketing gobbledygook 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. There's a fully electric E-308, too.

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. This gen3 308 debuted that new badge a few years ago, and for the facelift, it's the first car to illuminate it too. Albeit optionally. Chintz, yes. But allow yourself to enjoy it.

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. And hey, the next 308 is likely to leap on even further in this area...

Elsewhere, the central touchscreen - 10 inches as standard - has been slightly reworked with a row of ‘i-Toggle’ shortcut buttons underneath (from GT 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 starts with the 1.2-litre mild hybrid petrol with 143bhp, which uses a tiny electric motor and self-charging battery for improved lower down torque and economy than the pure petrol Peugeot sold before it. Then there's a plug-in hybrid powertrain; pre-facelift, this came in 180 (177bhp) or 225 (221bhp) forms, both powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine augmented by a 81kW (109bhp) electric motor and a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery. Since then, Peugeot has tidied the range up with just one, 195 option in the middle. Then there's the fully electric E-308.

All 308s use an automatic gearbox, in one form or another, and it’s far from a Peugeot hot hatchback 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.

How much will I pay?

Not too much, actually. Upon initial launch, a £33k starting point in base form or almost £40k for a plug-in hybrid felt like punchy money, even if the premium feel of the car beneath backed it all up nicely. For the facelift, Peugeot has improved numerous areas of the car yet charges less: £29,995 is your starting point, or even less if you get an entry-trim E-308 with the government grant to boost your coffers.

Even in SW estate form and with all the GT Premium whistles 'n' bells, it only just breaches the £40k mark. This was already a likeable little hatchback - with sharpened claws and a lower list price, it's a more appealing crossover alternative than ever.

The third-gen Peugeot 308 landed in a class absolutely rammed with talent. But its rivals have ebbed away in recent years - even Ford has ended Focus production. Yikes.

This is one of the few remaining cars of its kind, then, a relatively light but reasonably sized hatch that also looks the part. Peugeot rolled the dice on its design, inside and out, and while this might deter the more conservative elements of the customer base, the rest of us should applaud its emboldened approach. With or without the new illuminated badge.

Beneath the style there’s substance; quality of execution, lots of tech, and more than competent dynamics, even with the added weight of plug-in versions. It's not exactly a 205 GTI successor, but it's more fun than you might imagine. And the perfect antidote to all those taller, heavier crossovers that have eaten up much of the hatchback market.

Keep with tradition and the 308 rewards you with a warm glow inside.