Peugeot e-308 SW 2024 long-term test

Why we’re moving it: To find retired whether an EV inactive appeals without the bells and whistles

Month 1 - Specs

Life with a Peugeot e-308: Month 1

Welcoming the e-308 to the fleet

We are already respective years into the electric car revolution, yet it appears that galore members of the buying nationalist inactive request look-at-me styling, endless physics gimmickry and outrageous powerfulness outputs to adjacent see having their heads turned from their acquainted internal-combustion-engined cars. This Peugeot e-308 is intriguing due to the fact that it’s doing nary of that. It’s commendably, well... normal.

For a start, it’s a accepted estate car – inactive a comparative rarity successful this category. And it’s an property car with ‘only’ 154bhp. The inverted commas are determination due to the fact that not truthful agelong agone that would person been considered a batch for a compact household car, but erstwhile the baseline for tiny crossover EVs appears to beryllium astir 200bhp, that feels comparatively abstemious. And it’s not a cardinal miles distant from the 129bhp of the entry-level petrol and diesel versions.

With a 54kWh artillery pack, that gives a claimed scope of astir 250 miles, and 0-62mph successful 9.9sec with a 106mph apical velocity – utile figures, but hardly startling successful the existent climate. And it comes successful the aforesaid Allure and GT specs arsenic the ICE models, albeit not successful the entry-level Active trim, wherever presumably the nett margins are excessively slender for an EV. What makes it absorbing is its sheer ordinariness.

One happening that isn’t ordinary, however, is the mode the e-308 looks. Few tiny property cars are arsenic handsome arsenic this SW version. With its neatly drawn proportions, muscular instrumentality arches and crisp detailing, it makes the champion of Peugeot’s latest household look – particularly erstwhile specified, similar mine, successful charismatic Selenium Grey. For me, of each the Stellantis brands, Peugeot is the 1 with the clearest and astir appealing identity.

It looks bully connected the wrong too, successful peculiar the charismatic brushed-metal set that wraps astir the apical of the dashboard and incorporates the aerial vents. It appears modern without being uncomfortably angular, similar immoderate of sibling marque Vauxhall’s interiors. There are appealing flashes of colour and I truly similar the touch-sensitive shortcuts beneath the infotainment screen, which you tin acceptable up to springiness accelerated entree to the functions you usage astir often.

I americium inactive trying to get my caput astir Peugeot’s contentious (but precise overmuch present to stay) i-Cockpit set-up. I’m either comfortably reclined and frankincense wholly incapable to spot the dashboard, or I tin get a bully presumption of the dash implicit the tiny instrumentality and find myself uncomfortably adjacent to the ceiling. I fishy I conscionable request to walk a spot much clip playing with the narration betwixt the spot and instrumentality to find a bully compromise.

If I privation to enactment my kids successful the rear seats past I can’t propulsion my seat arsenic acold backmost arsenic I’d similar anyway, due to the fact that rear limb country is amazingly restricted. The SW has a 55mm-longer wheelbase than the 308 hatchback, but rear limb country is unchanged.

As a result, it’s not a car I’d urge utilizing to transportation 4 adults for immoderate magnitude of time, but connected the positive broadside there’s a precise utile footwear – astatine 548 litres, it’s not excessively acold down the ICE version’s 608 litres.

I’ve ignored our roadworthy testers’ sage proposal and gone for the plusher GT trim level alternatively than the perfectly capable (and astir £2k cheaper) Allure spec, and person picked a fewer prime options successful summation to that swish metallic paint.

The 360deg Vision and Drive Assist Plus Pack positive Smart Electric Pack adds a precise utile 360deg camera system, an electrical tailgate with ft sensor, beforehand parking sensors and a big of operator immunodeficiency including adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, long-range blindspot detection and lane presumption assist.

I’ve besides added a wireless smartphone charger (which works good erstwhile you find its saccharine spot, but that isn’t ever easy) and the Driver and Passenger Seat Pack. The second is simply a existent luxury, with a relaxing massage relation for some beforehand seats that offers each mode of soothing effects (including 1 that replicates a feline walking up your spine), positive an electrically adjustable driver’s spot and electrical lumbar accommodation for the beforehand passenger. Pretty overmuch the lone enactment container near unticked was the solid extortion – which I was pleased astir successful the caller heatwave. Combine that small batch with the GT trim’s immense modular kit database and it leaves you wanting for precise little.

As for that all-important power from ICE to electricity, this car has astir apt the astir conventional-feeling EV powertrain I’ve experienced. You inactive get that beauteous surge of show from 199lb ft of instant torque mated to a single-speed transmission, but it’s delivered without the accustomed scrabbling beforehand wheels oregon accelerative punch to the gut.

It feels linear and perfectly suited to the car. The scope successful the existent satellite is simply a reasonably realistic 200 miles oregon so, and connected a accelerated (100kW) charger it volition get from 20-80% artillery powerfulness successful astir fractional an hour. Stiff springing means that the e-308 SW doesn’t consciousness its 1716kg, either, though it does effect successful a beauteous steadfast thrust that tin get wearing astatine times.

So the aboriginal signs are promising. It’s not breathtaking – but it is susceptible and, yes, normal. And surely that’s what astir radical are looking for successful a tiny household property car?

Second Opinion

The e-308 is simply a bully car. It’s comfortable, good sized and for me, dissimilar the smaller e-208 I’m presently running, gets the seating presumption for the i-Cockpit spot connected (due to a amended integer instrumentality clump layout). I’ll beryllium keeping a keen oculus connected Al’s reports to spot if helium finds the aforesaid aft an extended play with the car.

Will Rimmell 

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Peugeot e-308 SW GT specification

Specs: Price New £43,320 Price arsenic tested £45,630 Options Selenium Grey metallic overgarment £750, 360deg Vision and Drive Assist Plus Pack positive Smart Electric Pack £960, Driver and Passenger Seat Pack £500, wireless smartphone charger £100 

Test Data: Engine 1x front-mounted electrical centrifugal positive 54kWh battery Power 154bhp Torque 199lb ft Kerb weight 1716kg Top speed 106mph 0-62mph 9.9sec Fuel economy 4.7mpkWh (claimed) CO2 0g/km Faults None Expenses None

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