Peugeot 308 SW road test

A fuel efficient diesel engine and a large fuel tank means Peugeot’s 308 C-segment lower medium range of hatchbacks and SW estates can be driven for miles without the need for stopping at fuel stations.

Ideal for long journeys or for those who hate parting with money on a regular basis.

For those customers who want to be ‘green’, well blue in Peugeot’s case, the company have recently introduced a small range of 90 and 110bhp diesel Blue Lion models with reduced CO2 emissions of 120g/km or less.

The 308 three and five door hatchbacks, but not the SW range, has Blue Lion models ‘eco’ models in it with prices ranging from £14,145 to £18,895. With CO2 levels of 120g/km this means they all have a road tax bill of £35 a year and they all fall into the new 10% company car tax bracket.

But with the Winter holiday season upon us Peugeot in the UK are promoting their popular 308 SW with the best selling 110bhp HDi turbodiesel engine at skiing fans. They say the vehicle will carry five people with 1,031-litres of luggage the 600 miles to Chamonix in France on one tank, 13.2 gallons, of fuel, around 45.4mpg.

This costs about £65 each way, much cheaper than flying and with CO2 emissions of 139g/km this works out at 28g per person, so no global warming and melting the snow from these holiday makers.

I can vouch for, or even better, those figures. It just so happens that I used a Peugeot 308 SW Sport HDi 110 for a recent drive to France and back and my test vehicle with two passengers, plus luggage, returned 50.3mpg. That gave a range of 663 miles, but in fact the on-board computer showed 700 miles was possible.

Cars that will succeed next year in a depressed market will be the ones that do the most for most people and potentially in the forms of right size, competitive price, low taxes, cheaper to run and versatile for many needs. The 308 SW does most of those things, except they look expensive against the competition.

The relatively new five-door 308 SW estate range comes in S, SR, Sport and SE trim and equipment levels with 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engine options ranging from 95 to 175bhp and HDi 1.6 and 2.0-litre turbodiesel units with power outputs from 90 to 136bhp. Prices range from £14,995 up to £21,545 but a mainstream model 110bhp diesel model should be gettable for around £16,500.

There are bargains out there, this is a competitive market sector and the market leader in all ways, Ford Focus is readily available at discounted prices and is driving reality into showroom prices. My test 308 SW HDi 110 carried the lofty official on the road price of £18,595 plus options. Not a chance. What Car? magazine’s target price is £16,914 and dropping as the market gets tougher – for now.

However the 308 line-up of three and five-door hatchbacks plus SW estates and the new CC coupe/cabriolet due out in April 2009, is Peugeot’s second best selling model range after the 207 supermini models. Sales are reported to be stronger than the marginally smaller 307 range it started to replace in stages from September 2007. Around 27,000 UK customers, split 50/50 between fleet and retail, will have driven away in a new 308 model of some type in 2008.

The 308 is a grown up and more curvaceous version of the previous 307, which incidentally is still on sale. The styling is more robust but the 308 still has the Peugeot feline face with the almond shaped headlights but the nose is now far more pronounced and I think ugly. The sides have more exaggerated sculptured lines and the rear end looks a bit ‘dumpy’.

The wedge shape with its rising waistline and coupe roofline gives a vision of speed but the rear windows are smaller and that limits rear and rear quarter vision.

The 308 is longer at 4,500mm, wider at 1,815mm but lower at 1,564mm and the wheelbase at 2,708mm is longer than the 308 five door hatchback and that means the SW has a better and more controlled ride. The panoramic glass sunroof, where fitted, is 27% larger than that fitted in the 307 SW. The extra length and width has been put to good use, more legroom for rear passengers and an overall feeling of spaciousness.

The load space too is impressive with 674-litres with five seats in use and this increases to a massive 2,149-litres with the seats folded. The seating is one of the cleverest features of the new 308 SW. It can be ordered as a conventional five-seater estate or with the option of a third row of two individual seats at an added cost of £495.

Now there is nothing new about seven seat estates or MPV people carriers. However the individual nature of the middle and third row of seats in the 308 SW means there are lots of seating combinations and they all fold flat to make up a long load floor.

The seats can be swapped around, they fold to form tables and they can be removed. In truth the rear row of seats if used as a seven seater are very limited for leg space and suitable only for children.

They also limit the boot floor space if the vehicle is being used for five people or less. The fifth and sixth seats need to be unclipped and removed rather than being designed to fold away into the floor. Surely an item for the midlife redesign?

I would much prefer to use the 308 SW as a five seater estate and have its massive load space easily available rather than mess around with taking seats out and putting them in the garage.

The Sport specification does not refer to sports performance; it is all about equipment levels. You get amongst other items, air conditioning, electric windows, alloy wheels, central locking, seven smart air bags, cruise control, panoramic sunroof and ESP electronic stability programme which should be standard on all models but isn’t. This is a family vehicle and ESP should be standard for maximum safety.

The 1.6-litre HDi 110bhp turbodiesel engine comes from PSA Peugeot-Citroen and it is widely used by them and others. We know it well. It is strong, torquey, relatively quiet and fuel efficient. It is one of today’s well respected engines and there is very little I can add to what I’ve said before.

Fitted to the 308 SW this unit provides for a top speed of 115mph, 0-62mph takes 12.5 seconds and the official combined cycle fuel economy is 53.2mpg. My test car over nearly 700 miles returned 50.3mpg which I rate highly.

The CO2 emissions are 139g/km which means a road tax bill of £120. The 6-speed transmission was relatively slick, the ride comfortable if the road surfaces were smooth. Potholes and rippled surfaces did upset the composure, more so when the SW had very little weight in it.

Talking of weight. The 308 SW will most likely appeal to ‘active’ families because of the load carrying space but for those who tow boats, jet skis or caravans the towing capacity is only 1,000kg.

The Peugeot 308 SW is a very good example of what the lower-medium, family car, sector can offer today’s financially and tax penalised private and company car users. Versatile interior space, compact road space, interesting but still rewarding to drive. The 308 SW isn’t perfect and looks expensive but it’s a buyer’s market for now so a deal can be done. Happy motoring in 2009.

Peugeot 308 SW MILESTONES

Peugeot 308 SW Sport HDi 110

Price: £18,595

Engine/transmission: 1.6-litre, four cylinder, turbodiesel, 110bhp, 180lb ft of torque from 1,750rpm, 6-speed manual gearbox

Performance: 115mph, 0-62mph 12.5 seconds, 53.2mpg (50.3mpg actual), CO2 139g/km, VED £120 BIK tax 18%

Insurance group: 7E

Load space: 674-2,149-litres

For: Economical to run, huge boot, versatile seating, strong engine, well equipped, comfortable ride

Against: Expensive, cramped third row seating and these seats do not fold into the floor, offset driving position, no ESP as standard on some models, not pretty from some angles