The Peugeot 308 could be your choice if you want your next family hatchback to stand out in a sea of simple-looking alternatives like the VW Golf and Ford Focus.
Just look at the front. It's like Peugeot took the 308 and dipped it headfirst into a bucket of leftover Christmas decorations. Gleaming daytime running chrome, bright running lights, and LED lighting are everywhere, as well as a new shield-shaped Peugeot badge.
Yet, somehow, these car jewels work together to make the 308 looks classier than most other small family cars, such as the Skoda Octavia or SEAT Leon.
It's a similar story at the back, where Peugeot has added some red slashes to the brake lights on the boot lid and a set of shiny chrome exhaust trims on the bumper. However, if you look closely, the square pipe is just a plastic addition.
Luckily, there's little fakeness in the Peugeot's cabin. If a surface looks good (and most of it does), it will almost certainly feel just as luxurious. This applies to everything from the subtle dash trim and solid center console to the striking metal-effect trim around the air vents.
These vents are located right at the top of the dashboard, next to the high-mounted driver's display that replaces the old-style analog dials.
This looks very similar to the setup you get on the smaller 208 and larger 3008 SUVs and means you're peering over the wheel to read your speed, not through it.
The steering wheel itself is much smaller than most cars and sits in your lap rather than at arm's length. The layout is odd making it difficult to get a good driving position.
Very tall passengers might also struggle a little to get comfortable in the back seat of the Peugeot 308, but there's plenty of room for children to get comfortable and the boot can easily swallow the family's luggage for a weekend getaway.
The Peugeot 308 is comfortable to drive for long periods, by the way, and cruises happily at motorway speeds.
If long journeys are the norm, you'll want to check out the 1.5-litre 130hp 308 diesel engine. It's not particularly pokey, but it's mostly quiet and returns around 50mpg in normal driving conditions without much effort.
If you're not planning a long trip, you're better off with one of the 308's petrol engines or plug-in hybrids.
The 1.2-litre petrol engine produces 130hp, which is more than enough for city driving and country roads, while the 180hp hybrid is more nimble and economical – as long as you have somewhere to charge the battery regularly.
Both versions are easy to drive, quiet, and comfortable. All Peugeot 308s are easy to see and the tiny steering wheel helps ease tight city maneuvers.
By the way, every version comes with rear parking sensors as standard and you can pay extra for a higher-spec car with adaptive cruise control to help avoid long motorway journeys.
That said, even the entry-level car comes with plenty of equipment as standard, which helps justify its slightly higher price tag than some less flashy family hatchbacks.
If you're looking for something that stands out but isn't into high-end SUVs, then the new Peugeot 308 is worth a look.
The Peugeot 308 has an RRP range of £28,050 to £42,040. However, with Carwow you can save an average of £2,872. Prices start from £25,661 if paying cash. Monthly payments start from £378. Prices for a used Peugeot 308 on Carwow start from £21,490.
Our most popular versions of the Peugeot 308 are:
The Peugeot 308 impresses inside, out, and on the road, and this quality is reflected in its price. Compared to other cars in this segment, the starting price is slightly higher than the Volkswagen Golf and more expensive than the Ford Focus.
The 308 range itself has four tiers, starting with Active Premium. For an extra £2,000, buyers can get the Allure, which adds front parking sensors (in addition to the standard rear parking sensors) and power-folding mirrors. The Allure Premium costs an extra £1,000 but includes lots of extra technology, such as wireless charging and adaptive cruise control. Finally, the GT starts at £30,030 but gets bigger wheels, a leather steering wheel, and sports suspension.
Driving performance and comfort
There's a premium feel to the 308's cabin, but this means the ISOFIX points are hidden neatly in a zip pocket, making them harder to access.
There is plenty of storage and practical additions to the 308, especially in the front center tunnel of the car. Here you'll find space under the dash, a USB charger and 12V power port as well as a charging pad for your smartphone. There's enough space to store sizeable bottles in the two center-mounted cup holders, which are covered by sliding panels to keep everything neat. Likewise, under the armrest, there is another storage area with an integrated USB port. The gear lever is also integrated in this section. It's quite small, but effective and aligns with the rest of the trim, providing a smooth layout and neat design.
The door bin is a decent size and can easily carry large bottles or other bulky items. Another plus point is the glovebox which is much larger than in previous Peugeots. It's even lined with flannel for an extra touch of quality.
There's an overall premium feel to the inside of the car, which is sure to impress many buyers and might even make people opt for a more premium model like the Audi A3.
Space in the back seat
There's not a lot of room in the back of the 308, but it's not too cramped for passengers behind the front row. Despite limited leg and knee room, most passengers won't touch the seats in front. When it comes to headroom, it's a similar story, and those looking for more space all around should try the Skoda Octavia.
While it is possible to travel with three adults in the back seat, it is not the most comfortable, which is something to keep in mind if traveling long distances. Meanwhile, there are ISOFIX points for child seats as standard, but they are hidden behind a zipper cover. On the one hand, it keeps everything neat, but on the other hand, it is a bit difficult to access. But the door opening is wide enough, so getting in and out of the seat is very easy.
Another positive is the large rear window, which lets in lots of light and also helps visibility from the front. Elsewhere in the storage corner, there's space for slim items like a laptop or tablet in the front seatbacks and the rear door bins match the front ones offering plenty of space for bottles.
Between the rear seats, there's a pull-down armrest with two cup holders, but since there's no tab to pull it down, it's not the easiest way to access it. There is also a ski hatch that allows long items to be carried on the 308, but the opening is quite compact, which would limit what could pass through the gap.
Interior styling, infotainment, and accessories
There's a premium feel to the 308 that's arguably a benchmark in the sector, but the smaller steering wheel – which blocks the driver's view – might put some off.
The 308's interior is superb, with great design culminating in a clear dashboard that stretches across the width of the car. There's a good mix of quality materials, most of which are soft to the touch and give the car a quality feel. Opt for the top-end GT and you'll benefit from a leather steering wheel, for example. This goes beyond what's on offer in the Volkswagen Golf, which has long been the benchmark among hatchbacks.
However, opinions will differ regarding the dashboard layout – Peugeot opted for a small, slightly squared-off steering wheel. For many people, it's not just the shape that's a problem, but the fact that it blocks the watch display behind it. However, this adds a sportier feel to the car and lots of manual adjustments in all directions.
A large central infotainment screen is standard across the range. Clear, responsive, and easy to navigate. Panels at the bottom of the screen make it easy to navigate various areas of the system. Menu 'buttons' are touch-sensitive, but react quickly to input.
Many people will choose to bypass the system and connect their phone, and there's a dedicated button to activate Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on the 308.
That large screen is prone to dirty fingerprints, so be prepared to dedicate a little time to cleaning it. While this may not have an impact on the appearance of what is displayed on the screen, the prints are quite visible in certain light.
Below that panel, there are also physical buttons for the car's most frequently used features. This includes interior temperature and deglazing/heating of the front and rear screens.
Boot space
At 412 liters, there's more boot space in the 308 than in the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, and many other similar hatchbacks. It's also a reasonably square space, meaning uniform square or rectangular-shaped objects can fit easily.
There is a slight dip to the floor of the trunk line and the added clearance of the wide bumper may be a bit of a hassle when moving heavier items. Under the floor, there is additional storage, although the hybrid model has 50 liters less than the petrol or diesel 308.
Folding the rear seats is very easy and can be done by standing behind the trunk. This opens up a large, relatively flat load area. The ridges where the seats fold aren't necessarily a problem, but they do mean that sliding things right behind that area – right up to the back of the front seats – becomes a little more difficult.
There's also a net and tie-down point in the boot, but there's a lack of 12V sockets here, unlike almost every other car on the market!
MPG, emissions, and taxes
There's a wide choice of engines for the 308, with petrol, diesel, or hybrid on offer, and an electric 308 as early as 2023. The petrol option is a 1.2-litre with 131 hp, while the 1.5-litre diesel offers the same. amount of power.
The hybrid option uses a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine working alongside an electric motor, producing 180hp or 225hp, depending on which version you choose.
If CO2 emissions are the main consideration, a hybrid car is the right choice because emissions are only 25g/km. Elsewhere, the petrol engine is rated at 128g/km, while the diesel is 117 or 119g/km.
All models have an automatic transmission and all are front-wheel drive.
Reliability and problems
All 308 models are covered by industry standard three-year/unlimited mileage coverage. To date – especially as this is a new model – there haven't been any recalls on the 308, but this could change as previous models have experienced problems.
Previous versions of the 308 – and other Peugeot models – paint a mixed picture of the car's level of quality and reliability. Industry surveys record mediocre scores, but that doesn't mean the newest model will suffer the same fate.
Safety and Security
This is a four-star Euro NCAP crash test rating for the 308, which doesn't compare to the Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus, which both received the maximum five-star rating. The failure of this French model lies in the safety of adult passengers (76%), while the protection of child passengers is less good and recorded a score close to that of the Golf and Focus (84%). Vulnerable road user protection and safety assistance ratings were 68% and 65% respectively.
In terms of frontal crash protection, there are airbags and belt pretensioners as well as a complete load limiter. However, no knee airbag is offered. In terms of lateral crash protection, there are side airbags for the head and chest, although not rear ones for the latter.
Autonomous emergency braking is standard to protect vulnerable road users and for car-to-car protection, and all models feature lane-keeping assist technology. Another standard feature in the range is a category 1 Thatcham alarm with an anti-lift sensor. In addition, the hazard lights turn on automatically during heavy braking, to alert other road users of potential danger.
