IT'S hard not to feel sympathy for the new Peugeot 308.
No sooner had the French firm introduced its new family hatchback last autumn than Ford facelifted its ever-improving Focus to tempt mainstream buyers.
As if that were not enough, the likes of Peugeot, Renault and Citroen are being pinched from every angle. The big players such as Ford and Vauxhall tend to dominate the family hatch market in the UK, followed by, at a distance, the highly popular VW Golf. However, that French trio are under pressure both from the upmarket and the budget brands.
Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volvo all now have models in the hatchback market and, while more expensive, all offer the allure of a premium badge on the bonnet. At the other end of the scale, though, there are also the likes of Hyundai and Kia producing very worthy rivals in the form of the i30 and Ceed.
They may not be able to give you that premium badge but they can offer a lot of car for the money and a warranty as long as your arm.
All of which means that those manufacturers stuck in the middle need to come up with a unique selling point. Can the 308 compete in that kind of fierce market?
On the face of it you’d have to say yes. The 308 isn’t perhaps the best looking car ever to enter the Peugeot showroom, as Pininfarina’s previous links with the French firm will attest, but at least it has distinctive, if not always pretty, looks on its side. From some angles the 308 can look elegant but from others it can look bloated and downright ugly.
Against the likes of the new Focus and Citroen’s C4, the Peugeot isn’t about to win any beauty contests.
It’s not about to win any hot-hatch races either. With the go-faster 175bhp GT version not due to go on sale until early summer, the fastest version of the 308 you can buy until then is the 1.6-litre turbo, using the same 150bhp engine as the 207 GT.
Not that it’s exactly slow – a 0-to-60mph time of 8.8seconds and a 133mph top speed are not to be sniffed at. On the road the 308 can feel reasonably quick, thanks to the swift response of the turbocharger to any flicks of your right foot.
If there’s one criticism of the 308’s driving experience, however, it’s that serious drivers may feel short-changed by their involvement at the wheel. For starters, there’s only a five-speed manual gearbox when most of the competition boast six speeders these days.
More importantly, though, Peugeot has said for some time that it can no longer afford to produce enthusiasts’ machines such as the old 205 and 306 that handle well but to the detriment of ride and refinement.
The result is that while the latest 308 feels smooth and comfortable, it’s not a car that you’ll want to drive again and again down a twisty section of road.
When the 308 can easily compete with the class-leading Focus in terms of comfort and refinement, it’s a shame then that it gets left behind by its rival when corners loom large in the windscreen.
That’s doubly disappointing when the 308’s cabin is such a pleasant place to be. The large glass area is supplemented by a clear, panoramic roof (standard on SE and GT models), which means that the Peugeot’s interior feels far lighter and more airy than most of its rivals.
It’s a relief compared to the sombre and dark insides of the likes of the Golf. The other benefit is that this allows for good visibility, even if the 308 never feels as easy to manoeuvre as a Golf or Focus when parking.
With height and reach adjustment on the steering wheel and the former also on the driver’s seat, there’s a driving position for all shapes and sizes. The same is almost the case for the rest of the accommodation, with a reasonable amount of space – four adults will fit if they’re not too tall.
The only downside to the interior is the dashboard, in particular the stereo and sat-nav controls, which are littered with tiny buttons. Almost impossible to operate on the move without taking your eyes off the road, it’s a strange oversight of ergonomics and one that really shouldn’t be the case in a car at this level.
THE new Peugeot 308 might not be able to boast a unique selling point that we mentioned earlier but it can at least compete with its closest rivals. It may not match the all-round brilliance of the Ford Focus, and VW’s new Golf, due next year, will undoubtedly be a tough contender.
But the 308 can still hold its head high among the rest.
NEW 308 CAN HOLD ITS HEAD HIGH
10.02.08, 7:39pm
It might be a wonderful car but the warranty backup from the dealership in Cardiff was abysmal when I had my 307.
The 307 that I had from new had the following faults
1. bent rear axle, it needed replacement all they could do was fanny about with it making it worse, result tyres wear badly and have to be replaced early
2. mileometer clocking up miles not done, no compensation
3. carpets driver side not fitted properly
4.front seats foam stuffing falling out like dandruff
5. wipers set up for france not the UK so it leaves an unswept screen to the right side of the screen, not good.
Anything complex and mechanical will go wrong eventually it is therefore of paramount importance to an owner that they have an excellent back up from the dealership, I unfortunately did not so I will never buy another Pugeot. At present I have a VW its the best car I have owned.
Video 
NEW 308 CAN HOLD ITS HEAD HIGH
10.02.08, 7:39pm
It might be a wonderful car but the warranty backup from the dealership in Cardiff was abysmal when I had my 307.
The 307 that I had from new had the following faults
1. bent rear axle, it needed replacement all they could do was fanny about with it making it worse, result tyres wear badly and have to be replaced early
2. mileometer clocking up miles not done, no compensation
3. carpets driver side not fitted properly
4.front seats foam stuffing falling out like dandruff
5. wipers set up for france not the UK so it leaves an unswept screen to the right side of the screen, not good.
Anything complex and mechanical will go wrong eventually it is therefore of paramount importance to an owner that they have an excellent back up from the dealership, I unfortunately did not so I will never buy another Pugeot. At present I have a VW its the best car I have owned.
• Posted by: JimCardiff01 • Report Comment
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