Peugeot is finally giving up the oversized headlights and mouths design theme, and is going all-Volkswagen all of a sudden, with the launch of the simply-styled new 308. I don’t dislike it, but I do feel that it could have been a bit more interesting.
That way, they would not have needed a 270 PS / 266 hp hot hatch version with an unusual two-tone paint scheme and massive rims to get our attention – look at Mazda and their newly-released 3. It’s getting a lot of good publicity now because it’s a more interesting car than this, and, well, it frankly is just more attractive…
Still, I bet the Peugeot stand at the Frankfurt motor show will get more visitors than usual, as it features three must-sees: the 308 (because it’s new), the 308 R concept, plus the RCZ R.
Naturally, the standard 308 is overshadowed by the R concept, a car that gets 26 mm lower suspension, so the special 19-inch rims fill the arches nicely. This, plus the fact that it also gets a very visible wide body kit we think really get it noticed, or would, if Peugeot put it into production.
They just might, considering they don’t actually call it a concept anywhere outside of titles… They present it as being a “production car pushed to the extreme,” but a production car nonetheless, right?
Furthermore, it makes surprising practical sense too, as it promises to return 6.3 l/100 km on the combined cycle, which equates to 37 mpg US / 45 mpg UK. That, along with low CO2 emissions of just 145 g/km, from an engine that produces 170 PS per liter, is very impressive. Sure, it won’t match the official figures to the letter, but even so, its numbers stood out, in a positive way.
Until we get a chance to see this enter production, like we’ve said before, we think the new 308 needs to prove itself first, since it’s an all-new model, built on an all-new platform, aiming to make a mark in multiple markets, not just its native France, and a few other eastern European countries.
By Andrei Nedelea
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