Hello
Peugeots used to be frumpy – now they’re fashionable. But is there more to the new 308 than surface glitz?
I’m not so sure I like the badge, but it shows the brand has the confidence to shake things up
Oh, how times have changed for Peugeot. We’ve seen it go through such a renaissance over the last few years, and it may have hit a new peak with this latest 308, which wears the new lion’s-head badge. I’m not so sure I like it, but it shows the brand has the confidence to shake things up.
And why wouldn’t it be conf-ident? Sales are growing (the 208 is one of the best-selling cars in Europe right now, and the 2008 isn’t that far behind), and the cars are striking to look at.
I’m not the only one who thinks my 308 looks fantastic; I went to an event recently to drive Skoda’s Vision 7S concept car and, before being let into the venue, the gate guard said: ‘Why are you bothering with that thing? This car looks great as it is.’ And, just before getting the 308 photographed for these pages, I heard the folks at my local car wash talking about it looking like a Lamborghini. The colour (Olivine Green, the only no-cost paint option) def-initely helps make some of the sharp lines pop.
It’s helped by being in the spec level that’s one shy of the top. As well as Peugeot’s i-Cock-pit layout, where there’s a small steering wheel and instruments that are designed to be seen above rather than through the wheel, you’ve got a glossy new infotainment screen and a neatly laid-out cockpit.
I seem to be one of the few people who really likes the i-Cockpit layout – maybe it’s my height or the fact I have my seat slammed to the floor. Either way, the new infotainment is a vast improvement on slightly older PSA-era cars like the 208, or my recent Vaux
