Car Review: Peugeot 308 2.0 HDi 136 GT

When it comes to competing for a slice of the UK family car market, there are no half measures. And that is exactly why Peugeot has pulled out all the stops to get its new challenger here in record time.Only last week we carried a world first drive of the new 308, and now we’ve tried a right-hand-drive model in Britain. How come it’s here so soon?You don’t need us to tell you that September is a key month for new car sales, and Peugeot didn’t want to miss out on a large chunk of business, so bosses decided to bring production of right-hookers forward.

The new family hatchback is the first Peugeot of the ‘8’ generation, and while it doesn’t represent a massive departure from the 307, it’s reasonably attractive, with a redefined front end and curvier shape at the rear. As with Mercedes’ latest C-Class, the nose and tail get different treatments dep-ending on which model you go for.

Under the skin, the 308 uses the same platform as its predecessor, so the car’s overall dimensions haven’t changed a great deal. In fact, boot space has risen by only seven litres and rear legroom remains modest.

Yet the Peugeot feels deceptively large inside – and that’s all thanks to the Cielo glass roof, a feature that’s standard on the top two of the five trim levels and optional on the rest.

The French firm desperately wanted to enhance interior quality on its fam-ily hatchback, and has succeeded. The one-piece dash moulding, which has five chrome-ringed air vents set into it, looks and feels great, and is better designed and more tactile than the effort in the 307. There are a couple of black marks against the newcomer, though: the right-hand-drive version has no footrest for the driver’s clutch leg, while the glovebox is tiny.

Buyers have six engines to choose from. We drove the top-of-the-range 136bhp 2.0 HDi, which is currently the only model to feature a six-speed gearbox. The diesel engine is refined, but could have done with being updated, because it lacks real grunt, with the power tailing off too early in the rev range. It doesn’t help that, despite the modest size gains, the 308 tips the scales by at least an additional 60kg across the board.

Still, that extra weight has not dented the car’s road manners too badly. While it’s far from sporty, the Peugeot is very capable, with a fine balance of ride quality and handling, plus excellent cruising ability.

It’s a strong vehicle, too, and has already earned itself a five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests. Prices start at £12,595 for the five-door 308, with three-door versions costing £600 less when they arrive here in December.

RIVAL: VW GOLF 2.0 TDI GT

While it’s not as well equipped, the equivalent Golf – the 2.0 TDI GT Sport – is considerably cheaper than the Peugeot, at £18,887. We still think the VW has the edge for build quality, too, and it’s a great car to own, thanks in no small part to its superb resale values. But the diesel engine isn’t the smoothest around and the car doesn’t have the 308’s polished road manners.

Other Peugeot Cars:
+ In Flux: Peugeot Flux concept coming to 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show
+ 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show Preview: Citroen C5 Airscape - full details, hi-res gallery
+ Drive Experience: Citroen C-Crosser Exclusive HDi
+ Peugeot asks, "Parlez-vous TT?" with 308 RC Z Coupe Concept
+ Peugeot's 4007 Off-Roader Has Car-Like Handling And A Torquey, Refined Engine
+ Citroen's 2CV is back!
+ First Drives Experience-Peugeot 207 GTi

[source: AutoExpress]