Peugeot 308 review (24/04/2014)
Not alone have many of the company’s financial woes been sorted as a result of the joint investment in parent outfit the PSA Group by the Chinese Dongfeng conglomerate and the French government, but the
recently appointed head of PSA, Carlos Tavares, has already been
giving out vibes which indicate a return to profitability sooner rather than later.
Tavares, who has only been in the job since the start of this month, has already given a clear indication that he is to start trimming much of the fat which has been strangling PSA’s potential to make money for years now. He is already been talked about in automotive circles as a man who is cut from a similar cloth as current Renault/Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, the Brazilian who saved Nissan from imploding and then oversaw its merger with Renault and the subsequent global re-emergence of the companies.
That Tavares is a former subordinate to Ghosn at Renault/Nissan is noteworthy. However, he is probably luckier than Ghosn in that he has taken PSA — and Peugeot — over at a time when the reality of the company’s future was already been addressed. His job now is to ensure that the realignments which have already been implemented come to a profitable fruition.
Chief among these core changes has been the decision to move the Peugeot brand further upmarket.
Peugeot has won this year’s European Car of the Year title with its 308. Such victories can often be hollow and/or not maximised properly in marketing terms, but I doubt if the Tavares regime will let this one slip by without milking it for all it’s worth.
Why? Because the 308 is quite simply the best thing Peugeot has done in many years.
The VW Golf and Ford Focus are the class leaders and while Peugeot might not have quite kicked their door in, it is certainly knocking very loudly. The 308 has the sort of looks, top drawer engineering, sterling engines, passenger comfort, and handling characteristics necessary to land a couple of hefty blows to the dominant players.
I tested the top of the range Allure version with the 1.6 eHDi turbodiesel engine which has 85kW (115 bhp) available at 3,500rpm and some 270Nm of torque from 1,750rpm. This translates into a top speed of 192km/h and a 10.2-second 0-100km/h capability. These are not exactly startling figures, but believe me, this engine goes about its business with assured ability.
Throw in an average economy figure of 3.8 l/100km and a very tax-friendly 98g/km Co2 emission level, however, and you begin to get a very different picture of the car. It may not be the fastest thing on two wheels, its frugality and environment-friendly factors are compelling.
Peugeot has a further ace up its’ sleeve with the soon-to-be-seen BlueHDi engines, which are said to be capable of in excess of 90mpg — the future for this car looks better and better.
The 308 is based on PSA’s new EMP2 platform, which we saw in action recently in the Citroen C4 Picasso, and which means greater use of lightweight materials and high strength steels shaving off great chunks of weight.
That platform has also allowed Peugeot come up with a new
suspension design front and rear. The company describes the front suspension as ‘Pseudo MacPherson’ and the rear as ‘deformable crossmember’ which does not really do justice to either, as they have transformed this car.
The rear suspension sees the torsion beam suspended by trailing arms, but by tricking around with damper locations, the engineers have produced a car whose ability to absorb bumps is very impressive. This not alone boosts the ride quality, but also sharpens up the handling no end.
Much attention has also been paid to the detailing of the interior and this work too has paid dividends, producing a design which is very modern, pleasing on the eye and to the touch, and easy to use. The quality of the materials is also a marked step-up.
The combination of all these things means the 308 has taken a huge leap forward in every way imaginable and, by and large, when the only things you can find to quibble about would normally be filed under the term ‘trifling’, it means the manufacturer has produced something very meritorious indeed.
And that is the sort of news
Carlos Tavares will want to hear much more of in the coming
years.
From €18,990 — €25,890 as tested.
Even though a new generation of ultra-economic engines are forthcoming, this 1.6 eHDi unit will not disappoint in either performance or economy.
In the top of the range Allure version as tested, the 308 wants for little and is a very attractive package indeed for the money.
Peugeot has made a big leap here and it is not wide of the mark to suggest it is now closer to the segment leading Golf/Focus than at any time before.
