MOTORNETNEWS  ROAD  TEST  -  JUNE  2008

PEUGEOT  308  XSE TURBO 5-DOOR HATCHBACK

The 308 is one of the trendiest looking cars to come out of Europe and continues the innovative styling trend by the French company a few years ago. The wide corporate Peugeot grills looks as though it's had a mouthguard fitted with the prominent protective rubberised across the front.  

The bonnet now has a protruding lip, the driving lights are set back into deep nacelles on each side and the teardrop headlights are sculpted into the front guards. The side crease line run just below the door handles  from the top of the front wheel wells to the wrapround taillights. Smart alloy wheels, body-coloured door handles, side protection strips and exterior mirrors are stylish additions.

At the back the tailgate window wraps right around the body, the taillights curve neatly up from each side  and the there is a smartly sculpted crease line across the door. Both front and rear bumpers look as though they would give pretty good protection to the body panels and lights. The overall build quality is impressive and the paintwork was lustrous and blemish free.

The engine bay layout is a bit crammed with lots of pipes and hoses visible but access to the maintenance points is good. 

INSIDE:

The interior is very upmarket with the optional leather upholstery, good quality plastics and carpets and a modern dash that compliments the funky exterior. There is a surprising amount of room in the 308, far more than the exterior appearance would have you imagine. This is a good sized 5-passenger family car.

The front seats offer excellent support with lumbar adjustment, height adjustment and heating. The rear seats are well shaped and give very good accommodation for two adults or three children. The centre section of the rear seats is actually quite comfortable.  Each door has a bin, the glove box is reasonably sized, there are four cupholders and armrests in the front and rear sections. 

The rear one has a fold out table with twin cupholders and slots for the kid's crayons or pencils.  The rear seat has a ski-port and there are adjustable head restraints all round. Pockets are fitted into the rear of the front seats. 

Up front the 3-spoke steering wheel is leather clad, the instrument dials are well hooded and have a digital readout between them for the trip computer and cruise control. The Peugeot cruise control system is excellent as it has a digital speed display so you know exactly what speed you have chosen. if you exceed that speed it flashes the digital numbers.

The instrument dials have chrome rings and there is a lot of brushed silver to highlight the dash console. Controls are well laid out, easy to read and even easier to use. Audio and air-conditioning controls are grouped just above the gear lever but are a bit low down for quick operation. There is a glasses holder above the right hand door and the twin vanity mirrors  have covers and are illuminated.

LUGGAGE AREA:

The 308 can truly be called a family car as the interior room has increased so has the luggage space.  The area is very large for a medium car and will swallow a family's luggage easily. There are four tie-down lugs to keep things in place and a very neat cargo cover to keep them private. 

The cover also incorporates a handy storage area accessed from the rear seat. I suppose it was only a matter of time before a stylist came up with an excellent idea like this. The rear seats split fold and there is a ski port as well. 

Under the solid floor is a full sized spare wheel and tyre albeit a steel wheel. This is preferable to the usual temporary spare so favoured by most manufacturers these days.

 ON THE ROAD:

Peugeots has always been driver's cars and the 308 is no exception. The clutch and 5-sppeed manual gearbox are a joy to use and you find yourself swapping gears just for the fun of it. Not that you need to be doing this as the 1.6-litre, turbo 4 cylinder pumps out a healthy 110kW. The torque figure isn't as impressive at 103Nm and is developed at a very high 6000rpm. The steering is positive and accurate with plenty of road feel and the chassis seem capable of handling all conditions and still maintaining a firm grip on the road.

The ride is very European - just what is expected of a Peugeot. Their engineers have discovered long ago that you don't have to have rigid suspension to make a car handle properly. The engine is very smooth right up through the rev range and there seems to be no turbo lag. Economy was very good at 7 litres per 100km on the highway and a very respectable 8.5 around town.

PRICE:             $30,590 plus on-road costs.  

STANDARD:    Dual front, head and side airbags; ABS brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake Assist; Air-conditioning; 16" alloy wheels; Cruise control; Electronic Stability Program; Fog/Driving lights; Engine immobiliser; Parking Distance Sensors; Power mirrors, steering & windows; Radio / CD player with 6 speakers; Seat belt pre-tensioners; Trip Computer.

OPTIONS:        17" Alloy wheels $500; 5-stack CD player $590; Leather upholstery $2,900; Metallic paint $700; Satellite Navigation $3,600; Sun Roof $1,000.