Reviews of the Peugeot 308

by: Alex Bradley

Alex Bradley is a skilled writer and digital content specialist focusing on automotive and sports. He has a degree in Multimedia Journalism and previously worked for The Northern Quota as Head Sports Editor.

Peugeot 308 Hatchback Review 2023

The Peugeot 308 Hatchback is a compact family car that's undoubtedly one of the best-looking hatchbacks around. As well as a slick exterior, the 308 Hatchback has advanced tech and a smart interior, making it an excellent choice for small families. 

Rivals to the 308 Hatchback include the Ford Focus, Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia, and Toyota Corolla.

Our Peugeot 308 Hatchback review covers:

• Key Features
• Peugeot 308 Hatchback Pros and Cons:
• Design, Practicality and Boot Space
• Interior and Trims
• Power and Performance
• Leasing vs Buying

Peugeot 308 Hatchback Key Features

• Superb exterior with slick LED lights and a horizontal front grille 
• Comfortable interior that features a few premium touches 
• 412-litre boot; decreases to 362 litres in PHEV
• Petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid engines 
• Four trim levels 

Peugeot 308 Hatchback Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Elegant exterior design 
• Smart interior 
• Quiet and comfortable on the road 

Cons:

• Rear space is limited 
• Rivals more engaging on the road 
• Automatic gearbox is a bit sluggish

Design, Practicality and Boot Space

If you're looking for a hatchback that looks good on the road, look no further than the 308 Hatchback. One of the best-looking hatchbacks around, the 308's front end is fantastic. There's a nice front grille with horizontal slats, chrome lights, creases in the bonnet, and Peugeot's new shield-shaped badge. 

Inside, there's a good amount of room for a family of four. Two adults will have no problems with space in the front as there's plenty of leg and headroom, and the central divide means you won't be touching shoulders. The rear is more oriented towards children or teenagers, so if you have an older family, look towards the roomier Ford Focus or Skoda Octavia. 

Coming in at 412 litres, the 308 Hatchback's boot is more spacious than the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. It's also a square shape, meaning larger items can easily be loaded. If you go for the hybrid engine, boot space decreases by 50 litres to accommodate the battery. 

Interior and Trims

The exquisite exterior design of the 308 Hatchback is matched inside. Its interior matches that of the Seat Leon, with the dashboard being well laid out and featuring plenty of high-quality materials. However, as you move below the dash, cheaper plastics become more common, which is where it falls short of rivals like the Skoda Octavia. 

You get a pair of 10-inch screens in the 308. In the middle of the dash is the touchscreen infotainment system that features a DAB radio, smartphone mirroring, voice recognition, and sat-nav. Then, behind the wheel is a digital instrument cluster that displays all the relevant information with sharp and clear graphics. 

Four trims are available: Active Premium, Allure, Allure Premium, and GT. 

Active Premium has 16-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, a leather/gloss steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, rear parking sensors, a 10-inch infotainment system, and a 10-inch digital instrument display. 

Allure adds 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, front fog lights, front parking sensors, power-folding mirrors, an 18-degree reversing camera, and a drive-mode selector. 

Allure Premium has front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry/push start, an active safety brake, a drive assist pack with adaptive cruise control, and a wireless connection for Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. 

GT has 18-inch alloy wheels, sports exterior styling, sports suspension, and a sports leather steering wheel.  

Power and Performance

A petrol, a diesel, and two plug-in hybrid options make up the engine range for the 308 Hatchback. They all come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox with front or all-wheel drive. 

The entry-level option is a 1.2-litre petrol, badged the 1.2 PureTech 130. Considering it's the cheapest option, it's a solid unit that delivers decent acceleration, achieving 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds and topping out at 130mph. 

Next is a 1.5-litre diesel, called 1.5 BlueHDi 130. It returns identical performance to the entry-level petrol but returns better fuel economy, coming in at a combined 50 - 60mpg compared to the petrol's 43 - 52mpg. 

The range-toppers are two plug-in hybrid options. The first is the Hybrid 180, which combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to achieve 180hp and go from 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds. The other is the more powerful Hybrid 225 that uses the same electric motor but has a 180hp petrol engine. 

The 180 unit returns a combined fuel economy of 244 - 293mpg, while the 225 slightly drops to 230 - 278mpg. Both hybrid units can get up to 83mph in pure-electric mode and have an official electric range of more than 40 miles. 

On the road, the 308 Hatchback is a good all-rounder. However, it's not as fun as some of its rivals. The main point of discussion is the automatic gearbox. It's sluggish and pauses when deciding what gear it wants to be in, making it tricky to drive in stop-start traffic. 

Around town, which is where we'd expect most to drive the 308 Hatchback, the steering is light, and there's plenty of visibility around the car. The plug-in hybrids excel around town; you can drive them in pure electric mode and use the regenerative braking function. 

Increase the speed, and the 308 Hatchback is still good. Engine and road noise is kept to a minimum, and the addition of automatic cruise control makes long journeys a breeze. Its suspension deals very well with bumps and cracks in the road. 

Get on a country road, and the small steering wheel makes for a fairly interactive experience. The steering is nicely weighted, and there's plenty of road grip when cornering in excess of 50mph. It's not as engaging as the Ford Focus, but it'll be good enough for most. 

Leasing vs Buying

Prices for the new Peugeot 308 Hatchback start from £27,065.00 OTR* or to lease from £336.56 per month.

Looking to get behind the wheel of the Peugeot 308 Hatchback? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.

Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase, thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.

*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change; always check with your nearest retailer.