Introduction
What Car? says...
Even when you’re surrounded by talent, good looks can help you stand out from the crowd – as Harry Styles' post-One Direction solo career shows. Likewise, the Peugeot 308 hatchback's striking appearance could help it stand out in a field of talented competitors.
It won't be easy for the 308, though, because those rivals include big-selling family cars such as the Ford Focus, Seat Leon, Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Golf. And as The X Factor has demonstrated many times, to be truly successful in the big wide world you need plenty of substance to back up rock-star looks.
FAQs
The latest Peugeot 308 is too new to have appeared in the What Car? Reliability Survey but Peugeot as a brand finished in joint 22nd place (alongside Mercedes and Vauxhall) out of 30 manufacturers, behind Kia, Renault and Skoda. Every 308 comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, while the batteries on plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models are covered for up to eight years or 100,000 miles. Read more here
The Peugeot 308 is not available in fully electric form yet, although an electric car variant is likely to appear in the coming years. For now, though, buyers have two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions to choose from, the Hybrid 180 and the Hybrid 225. The Hybrid 180 gets 178bhp from its 1.6-litre petrol engine and dual electric motors, while the Hybrid 225 boosts that power to 217bhp. Both models can officially travel up to 37 miles without using any fuel. Read more here
We think most buyers will be best served by the lower-powered plug-in hybrid option, badged the Hybrid 180. Teaming this with Allure Premium trim will get you a decent amount of kit without pushing the 308’s price too high. Indeed, Allure Premium models come with adaptive cruise control, wireless smartphone mirroring and wireless phone charging, among other luxuries. Read more here.
If you want a plug-in hybrid version of the Peugeot 308, you must choose at least Allure trim, which comes with most of the kit you’ll want, including 17in alloy wheels and a reversing camera. We recommend stepping up to Allure Premium trim, which gets you more luxuries while still keeping costs sensible. The difference between these two trim levels is how much equipment they come with, and how much they’ll cost you. Read more here
Peugeot’s i-Cockpit setup won’t be to everyone’s taste, but the 10in touchscreen is better than the system in the old 308, with crisp graphics and plenty of customisation options. It can be slow to respond to your touch, though, and some of its smaller icons can be hard to hit on the move. Every 308 gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, so you can bypass Peugeot’s system entirely if you want. Read more here.
You can fit more into the boot of the Peugeot 308 than in rivals including the Ford Focus and Seat Leon, although the gargantuan Skoda Octavia can take even more. The boot has a useful square shape, and only has a small lip at its entrance, making loading heavy items easier. If you go for a plug-in hybrid 308, the space is diminished slightly because of the battery pack – although we still managed to fit in five carry-on suitcases. Read more here
| RRP price range | £27,130 - £41,140 |
|---|---|
| Number of trims (see all) | 4 |
| Number of engines (see all) | 4 |
| Available fuel types (which is best for you?) | hybrid, diesel, petrol |
| MPG range across all versions | 266.2 - 65.4 |
| Available doors options | 5 |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £516 / £1,761 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £1,032 / £3,522 |
| Available colours |
