If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
You see, the Peugeot 308 Turbo is the supposed replacement for the 307, which is a popular family hatchback in its own right in Europe.
The monsieurs at Peugeot must have thought that with such success, something must be right about the car.
If possible, they would be content with the 307 despite its dated and bland looks. But alas, this isn’t the original Beetle, MINI or Cinquecento.
They knew it was time to, er, “fix” it.
Rather than redesigning an entirely new platform, they modified the 307 platform slightly and – voila! – the Peugeot 308 Turbo is born.
There is no surprise that the new Pug’s wheelbase is similar to its predecessor.
It has grown in overall length and width, but is now slightly less tall. These aren’t immediately apparent visually though, unless you have a ruler in tow.
On the other hand, the updated front facade is hard to miss. The Peugeot 308 Turbo mimics the large open-jaw and squinting headlights of the sleek 407, but ups the ante with a stylish three-tier nose.
Instead of a regular flat snout, the Peugeot 308 Turbo’s aluminium bonnet is sculpted into the shape of a F1 car nose. The front has more curves than a Botero sculpture.
And we all know what curves do: they attract attention. Other drivers slow down to take a look; pedestrians turn to gawk.
Peugeot 308’s instrument cluster has classy, chrome-rimmed gauges.
It makes its Italian namesakes proud (the Alfa Romeo Tipo 308 and Ferrari 308), maybe.
But is there anything beyond the Peugeot 308 Turbo’s looks?
Well, for one, the Peugeot 308 Turbo’s interior shows that the car has grown into something more purposeful, refined, and classy.
It’s a far cry from its predecessor, which feels like something out of a low-cost rent fleet. Overall, the Peugeot 308 Turbo’s build feels tighter and looks like it could withstand abuse from hyperactive children.
The long raking windscreen gives a panoramic view of the world outside. The wraparound dash contours across the cabin, giving a sense of added space.
In fact, this illusion isn’t needed as there’s quite a bit of room upfront.
Integrated sound system includes an in-dash CD changer.
The maturity is in the details and quality. From the soft, tactile dash material to the sleek centre console to the silver rimmed air-conditioning vents, the 308 puts the chic back into French autos.
Even the gauge cluster looks like it came from something more expensive and classy.
The Peugeot 308 Turbo’s front seats are comfortable and provide good lateral support, even though they are slightly thinner than the 307’s. This makes slightly more leg-room for rear passengers and the slightly scalloped seat-backs are a boon.
There are a pair of small air vents for them too. It’s a good try, but being so tiny, they aren’t exactly useful in our tropical heat.
But what is really clever in the Peugeot 308 Turbo’s rear is the storage area built into the parcel shelf. It has a two-way lid that gives access both from in and outside the car.
This is handy for keeping knick-knacks such as wet wipes, tissue paper boxes and rattle toys.
That’s a “lion” scratching your back.
Noting the needs of the family are features like the child-safety lock button on the driver’s door that also locks the rear windows.
Most cars still have child locks as mechanically activated items on the rear doors.
The Peugeot 308 Turbo has also achieved rather impressive Euro NCAP ratings: five-stars for adults, four-stars for children and three for pedestrians.
All these family-friendly features don’t mean that driving pleasure has been compromised. Sitting position is comfortable and the steering wheel adjusts for both rake and tilt.
However, its diameter does seem a tad large and it ultimately dictates the driving position since you have to basically work the chair’s position around it.
It’s certainly not a complaint, but what’s the point of the extensive adjustments otherwise?
Peugeot 308 has more legroom than the 307 thanks to the thinner front seats.
Under the bonnet hides a familiar turbocharged 1.6-litre powerplant. It’s the same one found in the MINI Cooper S.
But do not expect mad torque-steer kind of output as the engine has been detuned, like it was for the 207 GTi. It produces 140bhp and a welcoming 240Nm of torque.
On paper, it is claimed that peak torque is achieved at 1400rpm through its quick spooling twin-scroll turbo unit. But on the road, the real pull comes only after the 2000rpm mark.
The continuous surge presses on until after 4500rpm, when it starts to lose its puff. Power delivery is very smooth and seamless without signs of turbo lag.
One wouldn’t have guessed that the Peugeot 308 is turbocharged until you hear the faint sneezes from the blow-off valve whenever the throttle is closed quickly.
The engine is also very flexible and there’s hardly any need for it to be revved to get up to speed. This makes the cabin really hushed and comfortable place to be in.
Turbocharged 1.6-litre inline-4 delivers 140hp and a healthy 240Nm of torque.
On the roads, the Peugeot 308 Turbo displays its French qualities. It does a marvellous job of soaking up road undulations. Show it a twisting road and the 308 Turbo will take it all with aplomb.
The electric-hydraulic assisted steering system provides adequate heft and is rather precise, but it would have been perfect if it didn’t mask the feedback.
Nonetheless, the car grips the road snugly as it slingshots itself around corners, even in slightly damp conditions.
On closer inspection, we found that Peugeot 308 Turbo’s 17-inch alloys are shod with the grippy Continental ContiSportContact3 tyres (something our rubber guru Dr Andre Lam often recommends).
It does help that the automatic transmission is rather intuitive and downshifts (or holds the revs) before entering a corner. This means that the car stays in the sweet spot on the powerband on exit.
The Peugeot 308 Turbo uses a similar 4-speed gearbox, similar to the Clio Sport we tested this month.
However, after slight alterations to the shift programme, the Peugeot 308 does seem to shift a lot smoother and doesn’t drag the engine as much. Our only gripe was the lack of a fifth (or sixth) gear ratio.
In many ways, the 308 Turbo is a leap forward for Peugeot. It was clever to keep the strengths of the 307, yet move forward with timely changes that make the family hatchback a strong contender in its class of cars.
It may not be a revolution in car design, but the 308 Turbo is indeed a smart evolution that could well be Peugeot’s winning ticket.
Peugeot 308 Turbo 1.6 (A)
DRIVETRAIN
Type Inline-4, 16-valves, turbocharged
Capacity 1598cc
Bore x stroke 77mm x 85.8mm
Compression ratio 10.5:1
Max power 140hp at 5800rpm
Max torque 240Nm at 1400rpm
Power to weight 106.7hp per tonne
Gearbox 4-speed automatic with manual select
Driven wheels Front
PERFORMANCE
0-100km/h 9.3 seconds
Top speed 202km/h
SUSPENSION
Front MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear Torsion beam, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
Front / Rear Ventilated discs / Discs
TYRES
Type Continental ContiSportContact 3
Size 225/45 R17
SAFETY
Airbags 4
Traction aids ABS, ESP
MEASUREMENTS
Length 4276mm
Width 1821mm
Height 1519mm
Wheelbase 2608mm
Kerb weight 1312kg
Turning circle 10.7m
BUYING IT
Price incl. COE $92,463
Warranty 3 years/100,000km
+ F1-nose facade, interior refinement, handling and comfort
– Only four gear ratios, numb steering wheel, conservative changes
