2015 Peugeot 308 Review: The France Drive
What's Hot: Sublime chassis, beautiful interior, few vices.
What's Not: Missing cupholder, marginally more costly than key competition
X-FACTOR: Whether hatch or wagon, the new 308 is a stellar small car that deserves your attention.
Vehicle style: Small hatch and wagon
Price: $21,990 to $37,490
Engines: 96kW/230Nm 3cyl petrol, 110kW/370Nm 4cyl diesel
Trans: 6spd manual, 6spd auto
OVERVIEW
By Peugeot’s own admission, the outgoing 'T7' 308 was fighting an uphill battle.
It’s been the oldest product in the small car segment for a long while, and has also been handicapped by a starting price well above its competitors ($27,490, for those playing at home).
Not only that, but though the T7 308’s replacement launched in Europe late last year, production delays for automatic variants meant Peugeot Australia has had to wait until now to launch the new 308.
But thank the heavens, for it’s here at last - and it’s mighty good.
The all-new 2015 'T9' 308 not only looks fresh and modern both inside and out, but its price-tag has been slashed to within a cooee of its primary rivals, the Volkswagen Golf and Mazda3.
And having taken top spot in the European Car Of The Year awards, small car buyers now have a compelling reason to peek into a Peugeot showroom.
The new 308 range will be launched in two phases, with the three-cylinder 1.2 PureTech engines and a 2.0 HDi diesel the first out of the gate, followed by 1.6 petrol variants - including more wagons and a sporty GT model.
We travelled to France to check out the 308 on its home turf. From our first taste of the 2015 308, we found much to like, and little to dislike.
The Interior | Rating: 3.5/5
The people of Europe recently elected the T9 308’s interior as being the most beautiful on the market, and we can see why.
2015_peugeot_308_touring_overseas_06 2015_peugeot_308_touring_overseas_11
2015_peugeot_308_first_drive_review_15