First Drive: Peugeot 308

by Joanne Ahern • January 29, 2014 • Car Reviews, First Drives

2014 Peugeot 308 exterior front left static

The new Peugeot 308 is a stylish looking car

The only thing familiar about the new Peugeot 308 is the name, according to Peugeot Ireland sales manager, Colin Sheridan.

He was speaking at the Irish launch of the new flagship model, which we got to take on a return road trip from Dublin to Kilkenny.

The new model is lower, wider and lighter than its predecessor.

In fact, Peugeot has reduced the weight of the car by 140kg, or the weight of two average adults.

The boot in this car is a decent size – bigger than the outgoing model – and Peugeot says it’s the biggest in its class. It can be further increased by easily lowering the rear seats.

The new Peugeot 308 also comes with a spare wheel, which is standard in Ireland.

Inside, the cabin is spacious and the new 308 carries the sleek and uncluttered i-Cockpit design debuted in the Peugeot 208 – albeit with the addition of a CD player.

This design carries the small steering wheel and a head-up type instrument panel, whereby the driver looks over the wheel rather than through it.

The likes of air conditioning, Sat Nav, phone, media and driver aids are all accessed via a large touch screen in the centre console in all but the entry level model.

Volume control, however, is via an old style dial located beside the CD player.

The cockpit in the Peugeot 308 is well designed

A choice of petrol and diesel engines are available, in three trim levels – Access, Active and Allure.

Entry level specification on this car is generous and Peugeot is happy that it hasn’t ‘shortchanged the product just to get the price’.

Standard spec includes air conditioning, cruise control/speed limiter, front electric windows, Bluetooth and LED daytime running lights.

Active model highlights include hill assist, dual zone climate control, integrated 9.7in touch screen and driver lumbar support.

Meanwhile, move up to the Allure model and you also get front parking sensors, electric folding door mirrors and full LED headlamps.

A range of options is also available on Active and Allure models, including a Sat Nav and reverse camera pack for €575. The addition of a panoramic sunroof to that pack brings the price up to €1,100.

The optional Driver Assistance Pack, meanwhile, includes dynamic cruise control, an emergency collision braking system.

Blind spot monitoring, a very handy system which alerts you to a vehicle in your blind spot, reversing camera and park assist are also available.

2014 Peugeot 308 interior dials over steering wheel

The Peugeot i-Cockpit design sees drivers view the instrument panel over rather than through the steering wheel

We got to put in quite a few kilometers on our road trip to Kilkenny, and drove the car on a variety of city, suburban and motorway roads.

Our test car was a mid level Active trim 1.6HDi 92bhp five speed diesel (€180 annual road tax) and it felt good behind the wheel.

Peugeot expects this to be the most popular model.

I was sceptical when I saw the 92bhp figure but I didn’t find that the car was underpowered in any way.

It handled well on all road types, looked good and the cabin felt modern and spacious.

We’ll have the Peugeot 308 for a full test drive in the coming weeks so, as ever, I’ll reserve judgement until then. However, our first impressions are very positive.

The Peugeot 308 is now available, with prices starting from €18,990. The test car we were driving costs from €22,990. It also comes with a five year warranty.

Visit the Peugeot Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.