Lion roars

The 308 GTI is more sophisticated, better built and quicker than ever, but is it still fun? finds out

Under the bonnet of the new 308 GTI is a 1.6-litre four cylinder petrol engine equipped with a twin-scroll turbocharger that pumps out 266bhp through the front axle which, as it turns out, is more than enough to make the wheel squirm in your hands as you duke it out with the torque steer under hard acceleration.

Applied carefully – though not too carefully – and that power will take you to 60mph in a quick-enough-to-boastabout-it-down-the-pub six seconds on the way to a top speed of 155mph.

The engine is pleasingly rorty and it pulls with a consistent and persistent keenness right across the rev range.

You get to change gear the old fashioned way with a short stick placed conveniently close to your left hand – there’s no paddle-shift gearbox option – but the six-speed manual is light, precise and slick with a satisfyingly positive action.

The GTI rides on stiffer springs and uprated dampers and sits 11mm lower than the rest of the 308 range. The front track is 10mm wider than standard.

Unsurprisingly the ride is firm. There’s very little body movement, noticeable by its absence when you’re carrying a bit of speed through a bend, but it’s compliant enough to remain composed and settled over bumps.

Though the car is quick to respond to changes in direction the steering doesn’t provide a great deal of feedback and can feel a little light when you start to pick up the pace.

You’ll notice straight away that there are very few buttons in the cabin. Press one of them, marked Sport, and the steering weights up, the dials change from virginal white to demonic red, the multi function display shows power, torque and boost, the engine noise is amplified and the throttle mapping is more responsive.

The passenger space has a minimalist, angular design looks sleek and modern.

It’s well put together too, with some decent quality materials and genuinely nice details.

The instrument binnacle sits high above the tiny steering wheel – according to Peugeot so that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road for too long – and its design is mimicked by the 9.7in touchscreen surround.

That touchscreen controls the navigation, entertainment and air con, which is why there are so few physical buttons in the car. Because everything is centrally controlled it can be a little fiddly navigating the menus just to turn the air con up a degree or two but the touchscreen is at least responsive and the interface slick.

The seating is set quite high and, while I can have no complaints about getting comfortable, I was never able to get everything quite spot on.

Front seat passengers are blessed with plenty of head and leg room but anyone of above average height will not thank you for being stuck in the back.

The pay off is that you get a boot that’s bigger than a lot of the 308’s rivals – 470 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,185 with them stowed away – but the slightly awkward shape means it’s difficult to make the most of all that space.

Peugeot have made some great drivers’ cars, and the 308 GTI is another one to add to that illustrious list. The trouble for the firm now, however, is that there are plenty of other great cars, some of them greater, competing for enthusiastic motorists’ money. Judged in isolation, however, the 308GTI is undoubtedly a brilliant car and, should you invest your hard-earned, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.