Peugeot 308 1.2 PureTech GT 5dr EAT8

  • Automatic
  • Petrol
  • 5 door hatchback
  • 131 g/km CO2
  • 131 g/km CO2 emissions
  • 9.7 secs 0 to 62 mph
  • 131 bhp Engine power

Ten Second Review

Peugeot's 308 family hatch gets far more polish in this third generation guise, with smarter packaging, extra engineering options and a bit more useful technology. The result is a more desirable product than you might expect from this familiar Gallic brand. You might be surprised at how much you'd like it.

Background

You might not have ever thought of the Peugeot 308 family hatch as being truly aspirational but maybe it's time to start. Peugeot's been making Focus-class models for half a century and we're already on the third generation of the one badged '308'. This is the most up-market version yet, in keeping with the Peugeot brand's more premium positioning within the Stellantis Group. The last 308 wasn't really a car many customers would have chosen in preference to a Golf, let alone anything premium, but this MK3 version might be. Everything's different - even the front Peugeot grille badge. And the sharky looks clothe a cabin that could just be the segment's most sophisticated. Premium values with mainstream value? Is that what we've got here? Let's find out.

Driving Experience

Under the bonnet, there's a mix of something old and something new. Familiarity comes with the conventional petrol unit, an updated version of the brand's usual PureTech three cylinder 1.2-litre powerplant and available with 130hp. Surprisingly, Peugeot is still offering its usual 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel in 130hp form. Both these two mainstream engines are being offered only with 8-speed EAT8 auto transmission. The mainstream alternative is a Hybrid 136 e-DSC6 variant that which uses much the same engine mated to a dual-clutch 6-speed auto with an electric motor built into the transmission casing. On the move, the Hybrid system's 136bhp 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol engine and the electric motor can operate together - or separately. And, unlike with a mild hybrid system like that fitted to say, a Golf eTSI, here the car can be driven for short urban distances (under 18mph) on electric power alone. The motor also assists the engine under acceleration. Want to be able to plug your 308 in? Well for this, your starting point lies with the two petrol Plug-in Hybrid units. The Hybrid 180 model combines a 150hp PureTech petrol engine with a 109hp electric motor and a 12.4kWh battery smaller than that in the 3008 SUV, but large enough to take the car up to 44 miles between charges. The same range is also possible from the alternative Hybrid 225 variant, which combines a 180bhp petrol engine with the same 109bhp electric motor for a maximum combined power output of 225hp. The last powertrain option is the full-electric E-308 variant. This uses a 54kWh battery incorporating a sophisticated chemical composition which makes possible a 248 mile range figure. This battery powers a front axle-mounted 156bhp motor which will get you to 62mph from rest in about 8 seconds. What about autonomous drive technology? After all, a car of this kind these days isn't quite complete without it To satisfy this need, the French maker is offering its 'Peugeot Drive Assist 2.0' set-up. Previously, Stellantis Group tech relied on stop-and-go cruise control and lane-keep assist, but this evolved set-up can now automatically adapt the speed of the car around corners, operating at speeds up to 112mph.

Design and Build

This third generation 308 certainly makes a pavement statement. As before, there are hatch and estate body styles, both of which have plenty of overtaking presence. There's a longer-looking bonnet and a lower-looking nose bearing the latest, rather different Peugeot badge on its grille. Flanking this are slimmer LED headlights complemented by Peugeot's fang-like LED daytime running lights. In profile, existing owners might notice the extra 11mm of length and the prominent creases that have appeared over the wheel arches, which sit below a stronger shoulder line. At the rear, there are tail lights with three 'claw' style lighting elements.  And inside? Well if you thought the exterior was different, take a look in the cabin. Yes, there's still Peugeot's i-Cockpit layout with its small steering wheel, but that now sits beneath a completely new digital instrument panel, with clever 3D image tech borrowed from the brand's smaller 208 supermini. The tall, sloping dashboard features a sharp-looking 10-inch touchscreen display which has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity and is available in two forms - basic 'i-Connect' and more sophisticated 'i-Connect plus', which offers widescreen navigation from TomTom. Bottom of Form Beneath this monitor is a row of freely configurable touch-sensitive controls, called 'i-Toggles'. Each one offers a shortcut to a major function, such as radio, climate control or 'phone. Out back, a 55mm wheelbase increase makes the rear cabin noticeably more spacious than before. And boot space for the hatch is rated at 412-litres, better than most class rivals. If you want more, you'll need the alternative SW estate, which offers 608-litres before you start folding seats. Those figures apply to the conventionally-engined and e-308 variants. For the Plug-in Hybrids, you're looking at 361-litres for the hatch and 548-litres for the SW.

Market and Model

To reflect all the fresh technology, prices have risen a little. Expect a starting point for the hatch of just over £28,000, with the brand's usual 'Active', 'Allure' and 'GT' trim levels. There are two body styles - hatch and SW estate (the latter starting from around £29,000). There are no plans to reprise the Cabriolet body shape that featured with the first generation 308. You'll need to avoid base trim to get the Plug-in Hybrid version (priced from around £38,000) or the E-308 model (priced from around £40,000). For the asking figures, you get plenty of extra safety tech, including a long-range blind-spot-monitoring function, rear cross traffic alert and a reversing camera with a 180-degree field of view. There's also automatic high-beam and traffic sign recognition. If you go for an EAT8 auto variant, you can have Adaptive cruise control with a full stop-and-go function. Manual versions can also modulate distance to the car ahead, but not below speeds of 19mph. Across the range, a 360-degree top-down style surround view camera is also offered. If you want to add luxury touches, your dealer will offer you nappa leather upholstery and powered, massaging seats. From 'GT' trim upwards, there's also a clever cabin air filtration system designed to keep polluting gasses and particles out, with the cabin air quality level displayed on the centre-dash screen.

Cost of Ownership

The PureTech and BlueHDi diesel petrol engines deliver very similar WLTP efficiency figures to those of the same units in the previous generation version of this car. Think up to 52.1mpg on the combined cycle and up to 122g/km of CO2 for the PureTech 130 engine; and up to 65.4mpg and up to 113g/km of CO2 for the 1.5-litre BlueHDi 130 diesel. The alternative Hybrid 136 e-DSC6 variant manages up to 62.6mpg and up to 102g/km. What about the two Plug-in Hybrid variants, the Hybrid 180 and the Hybrid 225? As we mentioned in our 'Driving Experience' section, up to 44 miles of WLTP-rated battery running is claimed in each case, with the Hybrid 180 combined cycle fuel-rated at up to 281.1mpg; for the Hybrid 225, the figure's up to 266.2mpg. In both cases, the BiK tax-beating CO2 reading is rated at up to 24g/km.  From a household plug, both PHEV variants will be replenished in just over seven hours. You'll find 3.7kW single-phase charging supported as standard, which means recharges will take three hours and 50 minutes. A 7.4kW on-board charger is available as an option and plugged into a wallbox, the battery will take one hour and 50 minutes to be topped up.  What about the E-308 full-electric model? That has a 54kWh battery (51kWh usable) which offers a 248 mile driving range. The brand claims a recharge rate from 20 to 80% in under 25 minutes using a 100kW charger. With 308 PHEV and E-308 models, using the MyPeugeot smartphone app or by using the vehicle's touchscreen, owners can schedule a wake-up time for the battery. This means that the cells can be at the optimal temperature for efficiency from the time you start up, plus of course the interior can also be pre-cooled or pre-heated too. 

Summary

Peugeot isn't just building a car with this third generation 308. It's building a reputation. For too long, this much-loved brand lost sight of what made people want its products. Now, it's setting out to build desirable machines once more, models that aren't simply playing catch up or trying to copy the big sellers. Sure enough, this is vehicle with a definite feel of its own. It's not going to appeal to everybody but it is now a car that the company can rightly feel proud of - a contender good enough to worry the best in the business. After all, it gets so many things so right. French family hatchbacks in this class haven't always been able to justify themselves, either in terms of quality or in the harder discipline of pounds and pence running costs, but this one performs beyond expectations in both these areas. Overall, what's on offer here is a car that's continuing to restore Peugeot's reputation for building elegant, comfortable and understated vehicles. A car that gives the brand a shot at making good on its upmarket aspirations. It's been a long time coming.

  • DAB Digital radio
  • Peugeot customisable iToggles
  • Voice recognition for radio, navigation and telephony features
  • Body colour door handles
  • Body colour rear roof spoiler
  • Dark chrome chequered radiator grille
  • Extended lower body sills to the front and side
  • Gloss black finish B pillar
  • Gloss black rear cluster connecting strip
  • GT model designation badging on tailgate
  • Lion emblem badging on front wings
  • Model designation badges on front and rear
  • Peugeot aluminium door sills
  • Rear lower bumper gloss black diffuser effect trim
  • Rear side wing doors
  • Twin exhaust pipes with chrome surround
  • 12V socket
  • 2 front USB socket including 1 USB type c
  • Central front armrest with storage compartment
  • Electric power steering with reach and rake adjustable steering column
  • Front central console with two cup holders
  • Manual driving mode - change gear manually via steering mounted paddles
  • Multifunction full grain leather steering wheel with admite green stitching & GT badging
  • Piano keys gloss black plated toggle switches to access main functions of the vehicle
  • Roof lining - Mistral black
  • Ski hatch with central rear armrest with cup holder
  • Sunvisor with concealable mirrors and LED lighting
  • Twin USB charging ports in the rear (Type C)
  • Driver sport pack with sports power steering - 308
  • Visibility pack with automatic magic wash windscreen wipers - 308
  • 2x Isofix child seat fitting on outer rear seats
  • 3x Rear three-point retractable seatbelts with force limiters in the outer rear seats
  • Active safety brake with night function/cyclists/pedestrians
  • Adaptive driver and front passenger airbags with passenger airbag deactivation function
  • Child locks on rear doors
  • Driver/front passenger side airbags
  • Front and rear curtain airbags
  • Front optimised safety headrests and rear retractable headrests (x3), height adjustable
  • Front three point retractable seatbelts with force limiters
  • Tyre pressure sensor
  • Automatic door locking when moving off
  • Deadlocking system
  • Electronic code immobiliser
  • Locking wheel nuts
  • PEUGEOT Open and Go keyless entry system
  • Thatcham cat. 1 alarm with anti lift sensor
  • CO: 0.302
  • HC: 0.022
  • HC+NOx: N
  • Noise Level dB(A): 66
  • NOx: 0.041
  • Particles: 0.0007
  • Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb: 131
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 147
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 123
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Extra High - TEH: 153
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Extra High - TEL: 123
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - High - TEH: 127
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - High - TEL: 106
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Low - TEH: 180
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Low - TEL: 158
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Medium - TEH: 147
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Medium - TEL: 125
  • Camshaft: DOHC
  • Catalytic Convertor: True
  • CC: 1199
  • Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
  • Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE
  • Cylinders: 3
  • Cylinders - Bore (mm): 75
  • Cylinders - Stroke (mm): 90.5
  • Engine Code: EB2ADTS
  • Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE
  • Fuel Delivery: TURBO DIRECT INJECTION
  • Gears: 8 SPEED
  • Number of Valves: 12
  • Transmission: SEMI-AUTO
  • EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: False
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 6.5
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 5.4
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEH: 6.8
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEL: 5.5
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEH: 5.6
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEL: 4.7
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEH: 8
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEL: 7
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEH: 6.5
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEL: 5.5
  • WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEH: 43.3
  • WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEL: 51.9
  • WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEH: 41.7
  • WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEL: 51.8
  • WLTP - MPG - High - TEH: 50.4
  • WLTP - MPG - High - TEL: 60.3
  • WLTP - MPG - Low - TEH: 35.5
  • WLTP - MPG - Low - TEL: 40.3
  • WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEH: 43.4
  • WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEL: 50.9
  • Alternative Fuel Qualifying: False
  • Badge Engine CC: 1.2
  • Badge Power: 130
  • Based On ID: N
  • Coin Description: PureTech
  • Coin Series: GT
  • Generation Mark: 3
  • Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 20E
  • Man Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 12
  • Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 3
  • NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 76
  • NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 84
  • NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 4
  • NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 68
  • NCAP Safety Assist %: 65
  • Safety Concerns: False
  • Service Interval Frequency - Months: 12
  • Service Interval Mileage: 12500
  • Special Edition: False
  • Special Order: False
  • Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 60000
  • Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3
  • Vehicle Homologation Class: M1
  • 0 to 62 mph (secs): 9.7
  • Engine Power - BHP: 131
  • Engine Power - KW: 96
  • Engine Power - PS: True
  • Engine Power - RPM: 5500
  • Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 170
  • Engine Torque - MKG: 23.5
  • Engine Torque - NM: 230
  • Engine Torque - RPM: 1750
  • Top Speed: 130
  • Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP
  • RDE Certification Level: RDE 2
  • Alloys: True
  • Space Saver: False
  • Tyre Size Front: 225/40 R18
  • Tyre Size Rear: 225/40 R18
  • Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT
  • Wheel Style: KAMAKURA
  • Wheel Type: 18" ALLOY
  • Height: 1465
  • Height (including roof rails): N
  • Length: 4365
  • Wheelbase: 2675
  • Width: 1850
  • Width (including mirrors): 2062
  • Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 52
  • Gross Vehicle Weight: 1850
  • Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1323
  • Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 412
  • Max. Loading Weight: 562
  • Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1200
  • Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 680
  • Minimum Kerbweight: 1288
  • No. of Seats: 5