Road Test: Peugeot 308

Review by Feann Torr - 17/Apr/2008

Getting attention for a new small car in Australia is like using cooked fettucini to lace up your shoes. 

The attempt will most likely come unstuck before you take the first step.

Despite the increasing competition in the small car market, which is populated by dozens of promising vehicles, Peugeot hopes to make an impact on small car buyers with the stylish new 308.

Replacing the 307, the new French car has a sophisticated look, innovative interior packaging and clever engineering. But when it's lumped into the same category as the Volkswagen Golf and even the Toyota Corolla for instance, getting attention is easier said than done.

But let's not take anything away from this French small car: the Peugeot 308's predecessor was one of the European automaker's best performing models, selling more than 3 million units since it first appeared in Europe in 2001 and accounting for more than half of Peugeot Australia's sales.

With a range of new features, a hot new design and an upmarket outlook, the new 308 looks good on paper - but what's it like on the road?

We tested the 1.6-litre turbo petrol 308 XSE model and from the get go, I found the Peugeot 308 to be a real charmer.

It sits nicely on the road with a thoroughly European look - sporty but smart - and almost encourages you to step inside.

Do so and it's abundantly clear that Peugeot's interior designers strove to be different. From the way the centre console is laid out to the drawer underneath the front passenger's seat, the 308 is appreciably different.

It was designed for the same purpose as the Focuses and the Astras out there, to provide urban transport that's easy to get around in, fuel efficient but stylish and desirable. And the Peugeot 308 delivers.

But even when small car designs are getting more and more edgy, the 308 is still in a different league to its rivals.

What sets the new 308 apart from its competitors is, in essence, quality.

It feels like a luxury car and in some ways is more luxurious than the more expensive BMW 1 Series.

From the steering wheel to the the gearstick and the heating/cooling controls, everything has a high quality feel. It's roomier than the 307 too, and the sense of space in the cabin is clear from the start.

Sure, it's a bit pricier than some cars, with the range starting at $25,990 and topping out at $37,990, but for the most part it's money well spent.

Unlike the compact 207, Peugeot has packaged cruise control with the 308, and other features including dual zone climate control (with built-in air freshener) a 30Gb hard disk on some models will raise eyebrows.

The tactile responses in the 308 are pretty good - everything you touch feels classy - and even the seats are fairly comfy. They keep you snug but not squished and quality of the leather is impressive.

Even the dash plastics are high quality, with a textured soft-touch finish and the dashboard itself creates an illusion of more space in the cabin thanks to its expansive size and the way it slopes up to the windshield.

The amount of effort and the attention to detail that's gone into the interior is impressive. 

If you're bored of nondescript interiors with no style and are looking for something unique, make the Pug 308 your first stop.

Made in France, it's also one of the safer small cars in Australia, with a 5-star Euro NCAP crash protection rating, the highest possible. All models come standard with 6 airbags, and a 7th knee airbag can be optioned on the XSE. 

Stability control (ESP) is also standard on all models except the entry-level XS, which seems a bit rich considering a lot of other small cars get ESP standard across the range.

It's easy to get comfy in as well. Electric windows and mirrors are a good start, and manually adjustable steering wheel reach and rake, plus height adjustable seats allow for people of all sizes to find a suitable driving position.

Trip information such as fuel usage is displayed on a thin LCD display atop the centre console, and the climate control also has individual LCDs with temperature readouts. 

Everything's nicely organised and the ambiance is relaxing with a nice mix of black and grey. There's also a nifty display above rear-view mirror informs you which passengers don't have their seat belts on. Good if you've got petulant children in tow.

There's also splashing of chrome across the gearstick, doorhandles, and some of the centre console and the metal accents don't come across as cheap either.

Arguably one of the best aspects of the 308 is it's interior. It's so polished and so different to most other vehicles. 

Peugeot is innovating with its interiors, not just cloning everyone else's designs. The ergonomics are excellent - particularly the cruise control and audio controls that are discreetly positioned behind the wheel rather than on it which unclutters things - and it's the smaller details that will appeal to drivers looking for something new.

So, Peugeot has developed a class-leading small car interior with the 308, but how does it drive?

In general, it's a very easy car to drive, and plenty smooth too. Though 6-speed gearboxes are the norm these days, the 5-speed manual does a decent job: it has nice, easygoing shifts (you don't have to wrench the gearstick about) and the clutch is light.

The steering is light and progressive which makes turning and manoeuvering the car fairly effortless. As a small urban car, the Peugeot works well. Measuring 4.27 metres long and 1.82 metres wide it's not the smallest car in its class but it's still good at slotting into small spaces.

Good vision front and rear help improve your decisiveness while rear parking sensors with audio and visual indicators improve its park-ability.

Peugeot has ensured that accessibility has been improved: it's easier to load the larger 430 litre boot, which is quite a lot of boot space for a car of this size. With both rear seats down the figure rises to 1398 litres, which is enough room for a couple of hybrid road bikes with the front wheels removed.

Being a European import, the indicator stalk is on the left which can be a bit annoying at first but on the upside you'll have a very clean windscreen and it doesn't tale long to get used to it.

Based on underpinnings similar to the 307, the Peugeot 308 has been re-engineered to deliver a more comfortable driving experience and it suits the car's character. 

Though I wouldn't go so far to say it's light years ahead of the 307 in terms of dynamics, it does have a smoother ride and feels more accomplished on rougher roads. 

When pushed hard into corners the car offers good grip and feels fairly planted, but not nearly as agile or exciting as the 207. Though there is some body roll when you start turning up the heat through corners, it feels like it stays low to the ground and can be rewarding on tight, twisting drives.

Peugeot's marketing slogan, "The Road Is Beautiful Again" accurately captures what the French company as done with the new model. 

The 308 can be a lot of fun to punt through winding stretches of bitumen, with precise steering and impressive thrust from the turbocharged engine when you hit the throttle, but feels more at home on everyday roads - freeways, arterials, suburban streets and so forth.

Replacing the previous 2.0-litre nat-atmo engine is Peugeot's 1.6-litre turbo mill. Developed in conjunction with BMW (and also used in the Mini Cooper S), it's one of the best small engines doing the rounds at the moment.

Not only fuel efficient and green, spitting out a very low 167 grams of CO2 per kilometre, the engine is more flexible than a Russian gymnast, with a strong turbo surge low in the rev range. This makes pulling away from the traffic lights effortless, and it feels quick in almost all situations except when its fully laden with passengers. 

Overtaking duties are effortless thanks to the 1.6-litre engine's strong turbo kick, which can 'overboost' the torque an extra 20Nm. 

The engine feels strongest at around 2500rpm, when the turbo has kicked in, but even at low revs it's remarkably responsive. I raved about the engine in the 207, and even in the 308, which is heavier and larger, it still does a cracking job.

The engine is very efficient on the highway when slotted into 5th gear, and the 308 is rather quiet cruiser. There is also an automatic transmission available, and overall it's a rather satisfying small car to drive.

Overall: 4/5

If you're looking for a practical, stylish, safe, and environmentally friendly European hatch, the new Peugeot 308 deserves to be on your shopping list. 

It does a lot to impress and while it's not an amazing drivers car, it has other talents than more than make up for this.

Take the interior for example. It's the best small car we've had the pleasure to sit in, and will no doubt be the benchmark by which all other Euro hatches are measured. It not only looks and feels good, making use of high quality materials with impressive fit and finish, but the ergonomics are second to none.

I'm not convinced the Peugeot 308 is going to attract broad spectrum attention, but as one of Peugeot's top selling models I reckon it can make an impact in Australia, particularly with drivers wanting to upgrade from a Toyota or Hyundai small car to something with more class.

Powered by one of the best 1.6-litre engines on the market right now, delivering a more composed and compliant ride than its predecessor and presenting an interior luxurious interior fitout that sets a new benchmark, the Peugeot 308 is uniformly impressive.