PEUGEOT 308 MEMO TO GOLF: THIS TIME IT'S PERSONAL

THE PEUGEOT 308 is all-new, available as a plug-in hybrid for the first time and pushing upmarket to challenge premium cars such as BMW’s 1 Series and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

- PHIL McNAMARA

Confirmed for Australian launch during the first quarter of 2022 as a five-door hatchback that will be followed by the SW wagon a few months later, this review covers the hybrid and petrol engines.

Truth be told, Peugeot has long benchmarked Volkswagen’s Golf on materials and quality, but this model sets its sights even higher.

The cockpit is, without a doubt, a classy place to spend time. The layered dashtop cascades forward like a wave, overhanging lovely aluminum or fabric sections, accented with welcoming LED lighting (from second-tier Allure trim level).

GT and GT Premium trims also bring a digital driver’s binnacle with a 3D effect, while the standard 10-inch touchscreen is underscored from Allure trim up by a bank of ‘i-Toggle’ shortcut switches, which you can customize with your favorite functions, responding with a buzz of haptic feedback.

On the hybrid, I pulled in the Energy function, to keep an eye on the drive system’s operations. The graphics are nice enough but not in the wondrous league of a Mercedes.

Australia is expected to get only the higher-powered 95kW combustion engine and eight-speed automatic transmission at launch. In Europe, two plug-in hybrid derivatives (badged 180 or 225 after their joint petrol-electric power outputs in metric horsepower, which respectively equate to 132kW and 165kW) are offered, with Australia seeming more likely to get the beefier of the two.

These combine a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an 81kW electric motor sandwiched between the EAT8 automatic transmission. The new 308 is front-wheel-drive only and rides on McPherson struts upfront with a torsion-beam rear suspension.