Peugeot 308 Feline 156THP

EARLIER this year I found myself in the bizarre surroundings of an indoor ski slope in Tamworth during the launch of Peugeots much-anticipated 2008 SUV.

Peugeot 308 Feline 156THP

Engine: 1,598cc, four-cylinder, turbocharged

Power: 156bhp and 180lb.ft. of torque

Performance: 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds and 132mph

Economy: 54.4mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 114g/km

Price: £21,345

Bizarrely, I found myself in an even chillier environment as Peugeot launched its all-new 308 hatchback.

The top secret event saw journalists initially ushered into a freezing hangar at Lasham Airfield, Hampshire, for the unveiling of the latest car to lock horns with the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf.

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As soon as the hangar doors shut out a stunning November sunset, the temperature plummeted.

The reason for such a location was not to numb our writing hands to the point where we couldn’t report on the mid-sized hatchback, but to bear witness to its attractive array of LED headlights and interior ambient lighting in pitch darkness.

They have been developed by lead engineer Ben Hindsley, who came to Peugeots attention when he won their young engineer competition some 20 years ago, aged just 17, with an entry that pioneered LED lighting for bicycles.

Now an adopted Frenchman – complete with upsettingly affected accent – he is utilising the same technology to make new Peugeots look the business.

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Lucky for Peugeot, my hands have now thawed enough to write about the result.

Prices for the 308 start at £14,495 for the 82bhp, 1.2-litre VTi Access and top out with the £24,045, 150bhp, two-litre HDi Feline.

Standard kit throughout the four-tier range (Access, Active, Allure and Feline) includes LED rear light clusters and running daylights, colour-coded door mirrors and door handles, air conditioning, cruise control, a DAB radio and Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity.

A £1,500 premium for the mid-range Active introduces a 9.7 inch touchscreen sat-nav system, rear parking sensors and an electronic handbrake.

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So the specification is good, with adaptive cruise control and a panoramic glass roof among the features higher up the range.

Peugeot’s PR team also put stock in the fact that the 308 undercuts the Volkswagen Golf by £2,000.

Four diesel and five petrol engines complete a wide array of potential drivetrain options boasting CO2 emissions as low as 82g/km of CO2 (when the BlueHDi model arrives next spring) and a crazy fuel economy claim of 91mpg.

The excellent 156bhp turbocharged petrol engine which also features under the bonnet of the RCZ coupe is the dirtiest of the bunch, but still manages 134g/km and reasonable realistic consumption of 47mpg.

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First impressions of the 308 in the metal were tempered by the fact that I saw it in the dark.

All Allure and Feline 308s get full LED headlights and their white light does a fantastic job of illuminating the road.

In the daylight the 308s exterior panels reveal themselves to be handsome but understated and Germanic.

It is 3cm shorter and 4cm lower than its predecessor, characteristics which make it appear more planted and sporty while no doubt contributing to a range-wide weight-saving averaging 140kg.

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Inside is where Peugeot demonstrates its biggest achievement. There has been a sea change in the levels of interior quality offered by the brand and the 308 is its best.

A 9.7 inch touchscreen infotainment system takes centre stage and dispenses with numerous buttons to create the sectors most clutter-free cockpit.

It also boasts a series of Internet-connected apps which can perform various functions, from guiding you to the cheapest parking or fuel nearby to providing details of local eateries.

Spacious and boasting a class-leading 407-litre boot, the interior is swathed in soft-touch plastics.

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The driver sits lower than in the previous 308, behind a small, neatly sculpted steering wheel positioned low down, the dials positioned high up on the dash above  closer to the drivers eye-line.

During our test drive the sat-nav suffered problems but having experienced the same system in other Peugeots and Citroens without trouble, I’ll blame the issues on a complex, pre-programmed test route...

Driving the 308 was a slightly mixed bag. The suspension is firm enough to provide roll-free cornering and the chassis reacts accurately to inputs but electric power steering was overly light and offered little in the way of feedback.

I sampled the 156bhp, 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol and 115bhp, two-litre turbodiesel-engined 308s.

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The award-winning petrol unit offers a great blend of excitement and relative frugality. There’s plenty of low-down torque and linear responses which make its 8.4-second sprint to 62mph a rewarding affair while maintaining impressive refinement.

The diesel engine, however, will prove the bigger seller thanks to a reasonable 11.9-second dash to the same benchmark but claimed mpg of 74.3 and 100g/km CO2 emissions.

It is clear that Peugeot have pitched the new 308 slightly above the Focus and Astra it contends with on price.

On first impressions, there’s premium feel to the styling and interior that bears that out.

Conservatively styled and lacking in some of the dynamic flair of Peugeots past it may be, but unlike the launch event it left me far from cold...

 

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