All‑new Peugeot 308 goes hybrid

And doesn’t it look… well, premium. That’s the look they’re obviously going for and with the Mercedes A-Class as a regular top tenner, why not? Its pin cushion grille – complete with the recently refreshed lion emblem – LED headlights, “blade” running lights, body sculpting and elongated roof spoiler also make this 308 look a lot more at home among Peugeot’s other new models like the 208. It’s quite a swish family now. 

If the 308’s stance looks more assured it’s because the new body, here in distinctive Olivine Green paint, is a little longer, 55mm more generous in wheelbase and 20mm lower. It’s all thanks to a revised platform, though its main purpose is to allow this to be the first 308 to have an electrified drivetrain.

There never has been a plug-in hybrid 308 before but with this new version there will be two: a 225 model with 180PS (132kW) and a 180 version with 150PS (110kW), both powered by four-pot petrol engine but helped along by an 81kW electric motor. 

Technical CO₂ emissions are 26g/km and both hybrids boast an electric-only running capability of up to 36 miles from the 12.4kWh Lithium-ion battery. Plug in your Pug and you can expect a full charge up in just under two hours if you pay for the optional 7.4kW fast charger. 

And if you can’t be faffed with a hybrid there are also petrol and diesel 308s, both also featuring an eight-speed automatic transmission. How much less expensive these will be than the hybrid models remains to be seen; prices won’t be out until later in the year when the new range arrives in the UK. 

The newness continues inside where there’s an i-Cockpit digital layout of 10-inch digital instrument cluster – positioned so you view the info from over the top of the steering wheel, as is Peugeot’s wont – and a lower-mounted 10-inch central touch screen. The steering wheel is small diameter and low set and has sensors in it to detect the driver's grip, in order to inform relevant driving aids, of which there are now many. The displays are configurable, in the GT models embellished with 3D graphics, and all versions get a new infotainment system. 

There’s more room inside. The new 308 may only be 11mm longer but the extra 55mm in wheelbase is said to give rear-seat knee room a boost. Also boosted is the premium feel with materials such as technical mesh, Alcantara, embossed leather and coloured Nappa leather, depending on trim, along with customisable LED ambient interior lighting.

Useful features include wireless smartphone charging and screen mirroring, the ‘OK Peugeot’ voice command system and more USB sockets for passengers. Splash out on options and have your 308 with 10-way electric heated memory seats with a multi-point massage system. All very Mercedes. 

And to drive? We won’t get the first verdicts from behind the wheel for a while yet, but Peugeot says the new platform is more rigid than before to the benefit of road-holding and comfort. A car to take Peugeot back to hatchback glory days? We shall see…