Peugeot 308 II

The middle of May 2013 brought a lot of new things, including the official launch of the new hatchback Peugeot 308 of the second generation. The car was presented in early autumn in Frankfurt. Representatives of the French company did not hide the car from curious correspondents and declassified its appearance, modified interior and technical component long before the presentation. The whole model range is Peugeot.

Exterior

Even if you quickly look at the exterior of the hatchback body of the new generation Peugeot 308, it will be enough to notice the already familiar lines and stylistic solutions that are used by designers from a beautiful country, France. A little earlier, very similar hatchback Peugeot 208 and crossover Peugeot 2008 were produced. Headlights were presented in the form of LED eyebrows and cunning squint, all of which has also a complex shape.

The grille of the false radiator has a chrome finish, which is perfectly combined with a wide smile, located at the bottom, air intake, which in turn is located on a neat bumper that contains a pair of fog lamps and corners of daytime running lights made of LEDs.

The rolling hood is placed slightly above the front wings of the car and is decorated with well-flowing longitudinal ribs that give the nose of the car a complete and purposeful look. If you look at the side of the Peugeot 308, you can immediately identify the mirrors for rear visibility, which moved to their usual place (before they were placed on the legs).

This pumping has removed from the novelty small minivan windows, which stood on the front of the door. The side surface of the body and doors with bright ribs and waves flow on the body. The almost imperceptible flowing roof is based on the thin front and majestic rear posts.

Thanks to the large rectangles of the doors with a large window sill, the driver and passengers will be able to get into the saloon conveniently, and the insignificant overhangs testify to the expanded base of wheels and, of course, the size of the interior.

The rear part of the French car Peugeot 308 of the 2nd generation is decorated with stylish branded headlights of the overall light-amplifying equipment, which go far to the side body part. Filling in the rear headlights is used only with LED version. A massive rear bumper is responsible for the safety of the body, and a small luggage compartment door, unfortunately, is narrowed at the bottom of the opening.

Interior

The main part of the interior of the 2nd generation Peugeot 308 is completely new. Unique, highly installed devices with a lot of multifunctional display of the board computer, a small steering wheel, which was now in a sporty style at the bottom was trimmed, a torpedo and a central console – were created with difficult surfaces. In the center, the large 9.7 inch color display on the front panel, which supports a touch screen input, is striking.

Thanks to it, the multimedia and climate control system is controlled. By placing the display that supports touch input, it was possible to eliminate the weight of buttons, knobs and switches, which were usually located on the center console. The front row seats have an anatomical profile and clearly defined side support rollers.

According to French experts, the quality of materials used, sound and noise insulation inside the machine has been improved, and with it, the machine has been filled with functions that are responsible for comfort and safety. The inserts made of expensive materials and metal have been added. The car even corresponds to class D. Peugeot 308 will be equipped with active cruise control, electric handbrake, blind spotting and lane intersection services, parking assistant and other useful options.

Interestingly, the navigation system can work in Russian, but the localization is still limping. It is nice that the interior layout has been revised. Now he is a leader in his own class. The salon has become more interesting, unique and not boring. With the help of the fact that the wheelbase has been increased, passengers who sit in the back seats will be provided with a solid supply of free space in the legs and head.

A strange solution was applied – there are no ventilation holes for the rear row, but there is a 220V socket. The luggage compartment will provide 470 litres of usable space. However, this is not all, if necessary, it is possible to fold the rear seats and remove the luggage compartment shelf, which as a result will provide a total of 1,228 liters of free space.

Specifications

Powertrain

Speaking about the technical characteristics of the French Peugeot 308, it is worth noting that only a couple of power units will be presented in the automotive market of the Russian Federation. The basic equipment will have a proven 1.6-liter EC5 atmospheric engine designed for 115 horsepower. This engine is known to many people by the whole chain of PSA models and is sold with unpretentious qualities and ease of operation.

The engine is synchronized with the manual transmission only. Peugeot is also equipped with an EP6F turbocharged engine with a power of 150 horsepower. The engine works in pair with a 6-speed automatic gearbox Aisin. This gearbox has been subjected to serious modifications, for example, it affected the gear range, friction reduction through other heat treatment of gears and infusion of less viscous oil. Of course, the customer is unlikely to immediately notice these improvements, but from time to time it will be visible on the service life and the operation of the box.

In the combined mode, the turbine engine uses about 8 liters per 100 km. This is not a record figure, but it is not the last one. For the market, for example, in France, a more “rich” range of engines was presented – 5 pieces. Among them are a pair of diesel and 3 gasoline-powered engines. Among them is a three-cylinder 1.2-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 82 horses; 1.6-liter, which already produces 125 horsepower and a strong 156-horsepower Vti engine, and a volume of 1.6 liters.

The most affordable diesel engine is 1.6 litres and produces 92 horses. Then comes a pair of HDI-1.6 engines with 110 and 115 horsepower respectively and a pair of 2.0-liter engines with 150 and 160 horsepower on board. The synchronization can be a five- or six-speed manual gearbox or a 4- or 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Dynamically, the new car is only 0.5 seconds ahead of the previous model, and this has been achieved thanks to the improved aerodynamic drag coefficient and reduced weight of the car. Although there is no point in sinning for the synchronization of the machine and the turbocharged engine – its power allows it to be sharp. When speeding up, the steering wheel becomes heavier, the power unit produces high-quality bass, and the torsion beam somehow adjusts to the sports driving style.

It makes no sense to argue here, everything that concerns also the chassis was done perfectly, it is necessary to give credit to the French specialists. Although there is no need to be surprised, they always produced pendants of very high quality. The car knows how to rearrange itself sharply, avoid rolls, brake intensively.

Dimensions

It is worth mentioning here that the Peugeot 308 has become a little smaller and lower when compared to the first Peugeot 308 family of hatchbacks. However, despite this, the size of the wheelbase has grown. Now the new generation body length is 4253 mm, width – 1804 mm, height – 1457 mm. The wheelbase is already 2620 mm and the front wheelbase is 1559 mm, and the rear wheelbase is 1553 mm.

Thanks to the new Efficient Modular Platform 2 platform developed by PSA, it has been possible to increase the rigidity of the power frame in terms of torsion and bending and to significantly reduce the weight of the machine.

If you compare the hatchback with the last family, it’s 140 kg lighter. The car uses steel wheels with a diagonal of 16 inches (basic equipment) as wheels. In more expensive complete sets there are already 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels. The level of road clearance was 130 mm, but for the Russian Federation, it was increased to 165 mm. It made us very happy that the company thinks about consumers in different countries and about the quality of roads.

Safety

During the official Euro NCAP crash-tests, the Peugeot 308 was able to earn the maximum score of 5 stars. The frontal collision at 64 km/h did not disturb the interior geometry, the sensors were able to detect a good result of ensuring the safety level not only of the driver, but also of the front passenger sitting next to him. If we take a side impact – the results were also among the best in the class.

The lion’s share of the collision force is taken over by the body part of the car. By the way, composite alloys, aluminum and high-strength steel were used in the design. The arsenal of Peugeot 308 security systems includes availability:

• Surveillance of blind spots;
• Rear visibility cameras;
• Parktronic;
• Cruise control speed control manager;
• Notifications about a probable impact with an obstacle and automatic braking if there is no reaction;
• Airbags.

Complections and prices

Presented by Peugeot 308 in the Russian Federation in Moscow, at the 2014 motor show. Sales of the vehicles started in the autumn of the same year. At the moment, the cost of the new Peugeot 308 Access MT hatchback starts from the mark of $21964,30 for the basic version of a five-door powertrain with the volume of 1.6 liters, which produces 115 horsepower. The engine works in pair with a 5-speed manual gearbox. For 1466 00 ppm, you can buy 1.6 VTi Active MT with the same engine.

Complete set of 1.6 VTi Active AT already goes with 1.6-liter engine, but more powerful 135-strong and automatic gearbox – for it is asked $24947,30. 1.6 The THP Allure AT comes with a 1.6-liter 150-horsepower engine and an automatic 6-speed gearbox. THP GT Line AT is a 1.6-liter engine for 150 horses and automatic transmission.

The basic modification has 16-inch steel discs, docking, halogen optics, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, ABS, EBD, ESP, and ASR systems, immobilizer, central locking with remote control, air conditioning, adjustable steering column, height-adjustable driver’s seat, front power windows, electrically adjustable side mirrors, on-board computer, fabric interior, a pair of front airbags and a 6-speaker audio system with AUX-in support.

Products and minuses

We sum up

Summing up the results of the French hatchback of the second generation Peugeot 308, I would like to praise the designers, designers and all the specialists, because the car is beautiful. It makes you fall in love with yourself after the first glance at the appearance. All lines are smooth and graceful. The front “eyes” were successfully changed and acquired LED illumination. Peugeot’s aerodynamics has been improved, which is reflected in his agility and maneuverability. We are pleased that the company has increased the ground clearance for customers from the Russian Federation.

The appearance of the hatchback makes it look youthful and athletic. Having looked inside the car, all pleasant sensations do not fly away, and only supplement each other. The quality of details and materials, as well as the performance itself has improved significantly. The steering wheel looks more sporty thanks to the cut-off part below. The touchscreen display is simply above all praise. Not only did it take all the unnecessary buttons and levers, but it also added its harmony and solidity.

Now there are very few buttons on the centre console. Although not so many engines are available for Russian buyers, two engines are suitable for many motorists. They are not the most powerful, but will allow you to feel confident on the road and during overtaking. Moreover, they are not known for their low fuel consumption.

The level of even basic equipment is very rich and it can’t but please. It is also pleasant that the car is famous for its high level of safety, because at the European tests it showed itself perfectly and received the maximum awards. The second generation of Peugeot 308 turned out to be famous! I would like to believe that French specialists will not rest on their laurels and will continue to progress in production and modernization of their cars.

We advise you to read the article: History of Peugeot Company

Peugeot 308 II photos

Drawing of Peugeot 308 II

Test drive

Video overview