 Following the death of Peugeot 307, we
can conclude that it was a successful car – with 3 million copies sold
in 6 years and always at the top 3 of its segment in Europe – but it
wasn't as successful as Peugeot hoped for. The firm originally aimed at
beating Volkswagen Golf with the 307. It didn't quite do that because
it was simply not as good as Golf V. Peugeot 307 was supposed to be a
versatile car, but its MPV-style tall body did not bring any merits to
interior space but only compromising handling and ride quality. To
driving enthusiasts, it was a disappointment after the memorable 306.
Fortunately, now its position is substituted by a better car, 308. At the first glance, you might be displeased that the new
308 employs an evolution of the 307 platform. Everything is
predictable: it rides on the same wheelbase, the same MacPherson struts
as front suspensions and semi-independent torsion beam at the rear. The
steering is assisted by electro-hydraulic, which means the hydraulic
pump is driven by electric motor, while the servo circuit is purely
hydraulic. The body is longer (+74mm), much wider (+85mm) and much much
heavier (+162kg for the 1.6-liter model) than the old car. On the
positive side, the roof now stands 1498mm above the ground, some 12mm
lower than before, if still tall by class standard. Don't worry, as the
car is also wider than the norm (at 1815mm versus 1759mm of Golf), the
negative effect of higher center of gravity is virtually non-existent.
The new chassis is also 10 percent stiffer than 307. Drag coefficient
is slightly lower at 0.30-0.31, depending on engine and tire width. Peugeot's recent designs have been expressive to the extent
of exaggerating. 308 is no exception. With a big mouth, pronounced nose
and aggressive eyes, it looks interestingly like the lion in its logo -
what a contrast to the conservative 307 ! However, I would prefer the
handsome yet restrained styling of 306. Peugeot should understand that
they are not designing a sports car but a family car. It should please
as many people as possible and retain high residual values after a
period of time. Look at Volkswagen Golf and you will understand what
"design with disciplines" means.  While
the look of 308 is not in everybody's taste, the interior is on the
contrary. This year there are 2 French cars' interior really make us
wow, one is Renault Laguna III, another is this one. The 308's cabin is
not only tastefully shaped and decorated with chromed details, but also
made of soft-touch plastics and assembled with the solidity previously
only available to Volkswagen. The overall sense of quality even exceeds
that of the Golf and just everybody else at the moment. In addition to
the full length panoramic glass roof – a classy feature of Peugeot
since 206 – the cabin feels airy and upmarket. In terms of space, the
308 has abundance of them up front. Rear space is decent rather than
class-leading, but the slimmer front backrests free up some vital
legroom for the rear passengers. Moreover, the high roof allows the
rear seat to be mounted higher than the front, thus the rear passengers
should feel roomier than actual.  Open the bonnet, lying there is BMW's 1.6-liter 16V VVT
Valvetronic engine or its non-Valvetronic but direct-injected and
turbocharged version. They produce 120 horsepower and 150 horsepower
respectively. To cope with the hefty car, our choice is the turbo
engine, of course, because it produces plenty of mid-range torque to
overcome the 1327 kg kerb weight. In contrast, the naturally aspirated
version needs to be revved hard and therefore noisier most of the time.
You can forget the base BMW 1.4-liter 95hp VVT engine. It's better to
leave it for Mini One. That said, all of the BMW engines are leagues
ahead of the previous generation of PSA engines. They are more punchy,
refined and efficient simultaneously, voilà !Diesel lovers could choose from PSA's own engines, including 90hp 1.6HDi, 110hp 1.6HDi and 136hp 2.0HDi, but there is little reasons to choose them instead of the petrol. Even the top diesel won't deliver the same level of smoothness, quietness and performance as the petrol 1.6 Turbo. The only upside is better fuel economy, but even the petrol's 39.7 mpg is not bad !  As 308 is a heavy car, unless you tick the 1.6 Turbo
engine, it is not going to trouble Golf and Focus for performance. But
just as you wonder where its extra weight comes from, it responds with
excellent noise insulation, a quiet and supple ride. This is the most
comfortable car in the class. It reminds us the best tradition of
French cars. It skips the genes of 307 and recaptures the absorbent
ride quality of 306. The suspension setting is softer than the Germanic
school of Golf and Focus (especially the Ford), therefore it doesn't
control its body roll as tight, but the 308 is still a very competent
driving machine. Its steering is communicative, perfectly weighted and
accurate. This allows it to slice through corners precisely and
confidently. How Peugeot managed this high level of integrity between handling and ride comfort is unimaginable, especially considering it doesn't have the sophisticated rear suspensions as its rivals. Perhaps Peugeot has really recaptured its magical technique of suspension tuning. The fact that the recent 407, 207 and this car display excellent handling and ride does not just happen by chance. There must be some clever people and philosophy behind the scene. Car by car, we can say the 308 1.6THP deserves higher praise than its rivals. Its good engine, high-quality cabin, excellent comfort and refinement, superb ride quality and fine handling send warning signals to Golf and Focus. Its weaknesses are the extra weight (somewhat politically incorrect these years), weaker performance on other engines and the exaggerating looks. A Golf still looks more desirable and dependable, but the Peugeot should be a nightmare to Focus. |
| The above report was last updated on 5 Sep 2007. All Rights Reserved. |
