Peugeot 308 Active
FRENCH FLAIR MEETS PRAGMATIC PERFORMANCE
TWO YEARS ago the Peugeot 308 wowed Wheels Car of the Year, placing as a finalist amid staunch competition. Going into this Megatest, there was mild concern it may not have held up well enough to tangle with the top contenders. Shame on us. If anything, the 308 Active is now a more persuasive value proposition than it was then, despite the $27,990 outlay making it the priciest here.
For MY17, Peugeot has ditched the price-leading Access variant and added gear to the now basemodel 308 Active. It’s a fully featured ensemble that extends Peugeot’s resurgence by nailing down the practical necessities in an elegant hatchback that’s truly entertaining to drive.
The most convincing element of the package is the 1.2-litre turbo triple. Numbers of 96kw and 230Nm are easily dismissed on paper, but they say nothing about its tractable, effervescent nature. It has the most character of the dozen engines here. Much of that charm comes from its rorty induction note and power delivery, which is as smooth as Sinatra’s velvety timbre.
Peugeot deserves serious plaudits for its Puretech engine family. The petite petrol three-pot hums away happily in the lightweight 308, sipping premium unleaded at a lesser rate than everything bar the hyper-frugal Skoda. And the six-speed automatic from Japanese outfit Aisin has well-judged ratios and a spot-on Sport calibration, making it straightforward to explore the 308’s satisfying torque reserve without over-egged urgency.
At a moderate clip the 308 feels compact and easy to place. Its small, egg-shaped steering wheel suits the pointy front-end. It’s a natural steerer that tucks into corners eagerly and precisely, working with the road to simplify the task of tracing an arc through a curve. It’s as alert and incisive as the Mazda 3, but has a calmer, more impervious ride. Peugeot has made a torsion-beam rear-end that works. The 308 is communicative, and effortless to drive neatly.
If you can’t be in the driver’s seat, be good at calling shotgun. The 308’s second row is one of the smallest here. At least the seats themselves are good, and low seatbacks in the front affect an elevated, theatre-style view from the rear, offering expansive outward visibility ideal for kids. Boot space is above average, though in-car storage isn’t.
Snug front seats overlook an architecturally sculpted dashboard where minimalism rules. There are no controls on the centre console except demister buttons and a metal volume knob that could share its part number with a high-end stereo. Everything else is accessed through the touchscreen, which can be exasperating at times. The interior styling is typical Peugeot conservative in its shades of black, but the longer you look at it, the greater your appreciation.
To offset the higher point of entry to 308, Peugeot has added sat-nav and a reversing camera with sensors to the Active’s already extensive equipment list. It has climate control, height and lumbar adjustable front seats, auto windows front and back, and auto headlights and wipers. It feels premium and suave – more so than its French counterpart, the Renault Megane.
Ultimately, the 308 falls short of the Golf’s universal appeal, its back-seat space and outright functionality. And though the 308 doesn’t want for power, it’s beaten by the Astra’s superior performance and keener price.
What the 308 does best is wrap itself around its driver. It’s a far more cohesive and engaging experience than its matter-of-fact competitors. RL