Peugeot 308 GTi
Price £28,155/£29,920 Model GTi 270 Driver Ollie Kew Why it’s here Does Peugeot’s first family hot hatch in two decades cut la moutarde?
If everything is cyclical in the car world, like the form of football teams and popularity of bands, then right now you’d say Mercedes-AMG is at the top of its game, BMW M has been struggling, Citroen is on the up and up and Ford is entering a wilderness. Peugeot Sport is the dark horse in hot hatchbacks right now. It’s the rival no one saw coming, that’s turned out three really strong cars so far.
The RCZ R was a revelation, the 208 GTi PS is neck and neck with a Fiesta ST for pocket-rocket honours, and then there’s the 308. A car with a more exciting engine than a VW Golf GTI, a more tenacious chassis than a Ford Focus ST, and better brakes than an Audi S3. The components Peugeot Sport invested in to make the hot 308 a credible hot hatch are seriously talented.
Star of the show is the engine. This 1.6-litre engine is unlike any other powerplant this size because it lives for the top end, not easy-access torque. It’s a frenetic, zinging motor that dominates the car’s surprisingly aggressive character and would grace any hot hatch with pride. No, its downsizing doesn’t make it cheap to run – averaging at 32.0mpg, it’s a mite less efcient than a Honda Civic Type R or Golf GTI – but it’s just as happy on 95 octane fuel as super unleaded, sounds superbly fruity and the throttle response is ace. Long may it continue in Peugeot’s range. Would it ft in a 208, guys?
Where the 308 struggles – and cheesed of everyone who drove it – was on the frst impression. The materials are smart and the kit is comprehensive, but the boggo 308’s fiendishly sluggish, absurdly laid-out touchscreen interface was a bugbear on every journey, and the driving position just isn’t good enough these days. The seats are a major let-down: too high, lacking support, with a pointless massage function adding complication where all we want are proper bolsters and sensation in our lower legs to remain during an hour-plus drive. It smacks of a car that was engineered brilliantly but the marketing sorts mucked up the details at the eleventh hour.
The small steering wheel doesn’t make the 308 better to drive, easier to use, or serve any purpose other than being wantonly unique, but apparently Peugeot customers on the whole like driving with a child’s party plate up in their chest, so give the people what they want. The GTi does sufer from torque-steer and can be pretty lively in the wet, and both of those mischievous traits would be better managed with a proper wheel.
But let’s dispel the myths. Peugeots are no longer flimsy – this was an exceptionally well-constructed car. It’s a refned everyday gadabout, and it’s good to drive, not for a Pug, but for a hatch, full stop. Peugeot is out of the woods, and the hot-hatch establishment has a welcome new member that’s earned its go-faster stripes.