Peugeot has handed its 308 a light facelift, with the mid-cycle update also serving to introduce a new eight-speed automatic transmission.
While the styling tweaks are difficult to spot (up front, at least, since Peugeot has yet to release an official image of the rear) – look closely and you may notice slight revisions to the front bumper, headlamps and bonnet – it’s under the skin that the most significant changes have taken place.
Indeed, a new eight-speed automatic transmission has been introduced, paired exclusively (for now) with the so-called BlueHDi 180 S&S 2,0-litre engine employed by the Peugeot 308 GT (not currently offered in SA). This EAT8 unit replaces the old six-speeder and was developed with Japanese specialists Aisin, with Peugeot promising that it will provide a “slick, smooth, linear response”.
The French brand adds that the updated, Sochaux-built 308 will gain “extended driver assistance” features, and will be the first PSA Group model to boast cruise control with a stop function (for automatic models) or a 30 km/h function (for manuals).
The familiar three-cylinder petrol engine has also undergone what the automaker calls a “major upgrade”, with at-source and at-exhaust emission control for “low real-life fuel consumption and even more efficient pollution reduction”. A revised six-speed manual gearbox has also been added to the mix.
A new 1,5-litre BlueHDi 130 S&S Diesel four-cylinder unit also makes its way into a PSA product for the first time.
Expect the facelifted Peugeot 308 to arrive in South Africa in the final quarter of 2017, with engine options, specifications and pricing to be confirmed closer to the time.
