Peugeot 308 SW review: what the car critics say
The third-generation 308 SW has petrol, diesel and two plug-in hybrid options
Sensible but not devoid of fun, the third-generation Peugeot 308 SW is available as a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel, both with 129bhp, said What Car?. And for the first time there are two plug-in hybrid options: either 178bhp or 222bhp. An all-electric version, the e-308 SW, is expected next year. All 308 SWs have an eight-speed automatic gearbox that you can override using paddles on the steering wheel.
A very respectable all-rounder and a terrific cruiser, the 308 SW has decent grip and smooth ride quality, said The Daily Telegraph. It smothers small bumps on the road and stays composed over larger ones, with good body control. The tyres, however, are noisy at all speeds, and steering is slow, and feels unnaturally heavy in Sport mode. The gearbox works well, shifting quickly to find the right ratio for the job.
A handsome, comfortable estate, the car is 6cm longer than before, giving an impressive 608-litre boot (or up to 1,634 litres with the rear seats folded; 548 litres/1,574 litres in the hybrid), said Top Gear Magazine. Peugeot’s i-Cockpit with compact steering wheel and crystal clear ten-inch touchscreen can take a bit of getting used to, but it’s worth the effort. Passenger space in the rear is a bit disappointing, though.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
UK price from £26,470; peugeot.co.uk
In pictures: Peugeot 308 SW
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Wikipedia: Is ‘neutrality’ still possible?Feature Wikipedia struggles to stay neutral as conservatives accuse the site of being left-leaning
-
Film reviews: A House of Dynamite, After the Hunt, and It Was Just an AccidentFeature A nuclear missile bears down on a U.S. city, a sexual misconduct allegation rocks an elite university campus, and a victim of government terror pursues vengeance
-
Book reviews: ‘Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife’ and ‘Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong With Baseball and How to Fix It’Feature Gertrude Stein’s untold story and Jane Leavy’s playbook on how to save baseball
-
Rachel Ruysch: Nature Into ArtFeature Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through Dec. 7
-
Music reviews: Olivia Dean, Madi Diaz, and Hannah FrancesFeature “The Art of Loving,” “Fatal Optimist,” and “Nested in Tangles”
-
Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
-
Ready for the apocalypseFeature As anxiety rises about the state of the world, the ranks of preppers are growing—and changing.
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
Diane Keaton: the Oscar-winning star of Annie HallIn the Spotlight Something’s Gotta Give actor dies from pneumonia at the age of 79