Peugeot, a famed maker of good-handling hot hatches back in the late 1980s – early 1990s, is now struggling to regain its mojo. After lackluster attempts like the 207 RC and old-gen 308 GTi, the Lion is preparing us for the possible upcoming 308 R with a warmer version designed to be far more accessible – the 308 GT.
The current 308, according to reviews, is not the sharpest hatch in the business, but after pumping out so many performance duds in recent years, it has perhaps looked around at what the competition is doing and taken note. The 308 GT should actually be a tad quicker than the (heavier) old 308 GTi – it makes 202 hp from its turbocharged 1.6-liter petrol engine, which is good for a naught to sixty time of seven-ish (or just under seven) seconds.
There’s also a diesel on offer, with 177 hp (and 400 Nm / 295 lb-ft) which will probably be more than a second slower to sprint. And yet, with CO2 ratings of just 103 g/km in hatchback form and an average claimed efficiency figure of 4 l/100km (70.6 mpg UK / 58.8 mpg US), it does justify itself and actually makes the decision of buying the petrol harder.
When it comes to gearboxes, you again have to give the decision some thought. The gasoline-burning variant, the GT 205, can only be mated to six-speed manual gearbox, while the diesel GT 180 can only be had with a new six-speed autobox with steering wheel-mounted paddles.
A GT variant of both the hatchback and estate body styles is available, with the latter performing slightly worse in terms of economy and performance.
You’ll be able to tell these GTs apart from lesser 308s by their repositioned Peugeot logo that now sits on the grille instead of on the bonnet. They get a subtle body makeover emphasized by the pronounced side skirts and big 18-inch wheels exclusively available on this model – suspension is lowered too, to finish off the look, though Peugeot says it was also done in the quest for improved handling.
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