LE TOUQUET, FRANCE – They are everywhere… French people and their Peugeots. Understandably so – we’re in France, after all. The patriotism of its citizenry is legendary and this is the top-selling marque in France. As a result, in this market at least, the Peugeot 308 has visibly vanquished its traditional rival, the VW Golf.
Back in SA, of course, it’s a different story entirely and the VW Golf has ruled the C-segment hatch roost since its inception. Leading the latest Gallic assault on the German’s top spot is the brand new-ish Peugeot 308. The “-ish” stuck on the end there is because the car was launched in Europe toward the end of 2013. And it was a very successful launch too, because…
Yes, wasn’t it voted 2014 European Car of the Year?
Indeed. And the good news is that in March 2015, some 16 months after its European debut, the 308 will be launched in SA.
We will be getting three variants: the GT Line driven here with its 96 kW, three-cylinder engine turbopetrol engine good for 230 N.m that will arrive in March. In June, there’ll be a 308 Active with a 81 kW/205 N.m 1,2-litre turbopetrol engine (an engine shared by the SA-bound Citroen C4 Cactus). And in September, you can look forward to a 308 GT with a 150 kW/285 N.m, 1,6-litre turbopetrol unit. All will have a six-speed manual transmission.
Looks like a bigger 208, doesn’t it?
And that can only be a good thing. It’s a handsome hatch that shares styling cues with its smaller 208 sibling – a car that’s the current “Light Hatch” category winner of CAR’s Top 12 Best Buys. It has a slim, purposeful nose that leads to muscular wheel arches and stylish rear light clusters that are fairly big without being too fussy. In the flesh, the 308 looks surprising long and low, like it’s somewhere between a hatch and a sports estate.
And inside?
Very much a reflection of the exterior. It’s an impressive interior – classy, and clutter-free with soft-touch rubber and plastic to compliment the leather-Alcantara combo in our car. Perceived quality is at least as good as the Golf’s. One downside to this absence of clutter, however, is that the roles of the dashboard dials and switches have been taken over by a central touchscreen. Visually, the screen is top notch, but changing something as simple as the cabin temperature can be time consuming – if, for example, you’re in the media screen listening to music, you have to go out of that and into the cabin temperature sub-menus.
Interior space is something of a compromise. Whereas it has an impressively large 470 L boot (bigger than the Golf’s by 90 L), rear passenger space is merely average. Inside there isn’t much storage space and the cubbyhole is fairly small.
What’s it like to drive then?
The controversial bit first. Yes, it has the same dash/steering wheel layout as the 208. And that means a small wheel with the speedo and rev counter visible above the wheel. A few of the taller members of the CAR team disliked these ergonomics in the 208, unable to adjust the seat and steering wheel to a position where the dials were not obscured by the top of the wheel. Personally, I had no problem with the 208 or 308’s driving position. It does take a little extra time to get the small steering wheel in the right position, but once done I had no problems seeing the dash info.
The 308 is built on the same lightweight platform as the Citroën C4 Picasso, which Peugeot claims is a 140 kg saving over the previous model (depending, of course which engine derivative you choose). Its new-generation, small-capacity, three-cylinder 1,2-litre turbopetrol provided impressive go and with three people in the car, the 308 felt lively enough through the gears. The handling is a lot like the 208’s – sharp and agile without sacrificing comfort. The suspension setup is on the soft side but, like the 208, the 308 quickly settles into a corner without any hint of body roll, providing the driver with confidence-inspiring levels of grip.
A manual six-speed transmission will be the only option in the range and, like that on the Citroen C4 Cactus I also drove on this trip, it’s adequate. Again, I would’ve preferred something a little more snap in the gear engagement. Our car was fitted with the optional sport mode that sharpens the throttle response, adds weight to the steering and pipes in a slightly artificial engine note through the car’s stereo system.
Would you recommend it?
I certainly would – with one caveat, though. The upsides of the new 308 are its looks, quality interior, comfortable yet still dynamic handling, frugal turbopetrol engine that punches above its weight, and high spec levels. Priced at R339 900, this GT Line 308 comes standard with 17-inch diamond alloys, electric handbrake, park sensors, electric folding mirrors, alloy pedals, and dual leather with Alcantara trim. This puts it in direct competition with the slightly more powerful 103 kW Golf 1,4 TSI Highline priced at R328 100. Spec the Golf to the 308’s level, though, and the Peugeot will be the cheaper car.
There is, however, one perennial downside to the 308 and, in fact, all French cars in our market … resale value. It has always been their Achilles’ heel. That said, Peugeot/Citroen SA boss Francis Harnie who was with us on this launch, has some firm plans in place with his dealer network to turn that around.
Pricing will start at R275 900 for the Active (June 2015 launch) up to R339 900 for the GT line (March 2015 launch). No price has been confirmed for the 308 GT to schedule to arrive here in September 2015.
