Peugeot 308 SW review

The 308 SW, or station wagon, to give it its full name. And we’ll start with the looks, because, well, it’s a handsome thing, isn’t it? Arguably even more so than the five-door hatch with its swooping roofline – another tick for Peugeot’s re-energised design department.

It’s not short of rivals, facing off against established competitors including the Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and Vauxhall Astra estates, as well as the likes of the Volkswagen Passat and Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. But the Peugeot is by far the most imaginatively surfaced and doesn’t look like anything else out there. And it’s French. Vive la difference and all that.

We’re glad it’s here, too – in an ocean of compact crossovers, an estate feels like a retro concept. And now newly facelifted too.

What’s new?

The front badge, a roaring lion’s head inside a shield-shaped logo, which also houses the radar sensors used by the autonomous driving aids, debuted on this third gen 308 a few years back. And it’s now the first Peugeot logo to illuminate it too. The front grille – also given a sleek redesign as part of the facelift – it sits in is equally dramatic, too, tapering round to the headlights.

Compared to the hatch, it comes with a longer wheelbase and rear overhang for more boot space and legroom. Boot volume is an impressive 598 litres, or up to 1,487 litres with the rear seats folded (less in the PHEV). That’s on par with the Vauxhall Astra, but comfortably pipped by the Skoda Octavia and VW Passat. Still, there’s enough room for objects up to 1.85m long, which should come in handy for the tip run.

That is, of course, if you’re not too precious about the interior and Peugeot’s i-Cockpit set-up, complete with compact steering wheel and 10-inch digital instrument cluster, which can take some getting used to. Stick with it, because once you’re used to it you won’t want to go back. The infotainment consists of a 10-inch touchscreen and a row of ‘i-Toggle’ touch sensitive buttons which can be customised to shortcuts of your choosing. Full details over on the Interior tab.

What's under the long bonnet?

Mirroring the engine line-up in the hatchback, the range is refreshingly simple: one mild hybrid petrol (1.2-litre Hybrid 145), one diesel (1.5-litre Blue HDi 130), and one plug-in hybrid (1.6-litre PHEV 195). Plus the fully electric E-308 SW, obvs.

The plug-in produces 192bhp, pairing its 1.6 with a 92kW (123bhp) electric motor and a 17.2kWh battery, for a claimed e-range of 53 miles.

Does it come with a premium price tag too?

Prices start from £28,695 for the entry-level mild hybrid petrol, with the plug-in hybrid starting from £36,300 – that’s around a £1k bump in price like-for-like with the hatch. Not bad. Head over to the Buying tab for the full lowdown.

Hats off to Peugeot for trying something different. The 308 SW is truly a good-looking estate – arguably even better than the hatch – and far more appealing than the many crossovers that dominate the sales charts these days.

The interior feels more premium than any of its nearest rivals, and is certainly more visually appealing, too. It’s rammed full of tech, offers highly competent if not class-leading dynamics, and a useful range of powertrains.

Spec it carefully and you have a fast, practical and efficient compact estate that’s handsome yet so stealthy no one will see you coming. Even if that new illuminated badge makes it slightly less covert than it once was.