Wednesday, February 25, 2015
campaignseries.co.uk
39 Look beyond the pointless controversy
THE 308 is a really excellent car often overshadowed by pointless controversy about its steering wheel or button- free centre console. But here’s something else to think about: 88.3mpg. That’s the figure that, on paper or the test bench, at least, the Blue- HDi version of the French Lion’s family car can give you. A lot of family hatchbacks
have gone a bit gawky in their styling after numerous ‘dar- ing’ facelifts, but too much bo- tox is bad for you. The 308 has neat, balanced proportions. Unfortunately for Peugeot,
its decision to do away with such old-fashioned nonsense as buttons in favour of on- screen menus did meet some resistance. As did the move to a smaller steering wheel de- signed to be held low, beneath the raised instrument cluster. The interior storage is below
par. Broad door pockets cannot excuse the tiny half-glovebox or the awkwardly-shaped and
small bins by the front seats. But the boot has lots of room and a relatively plush carpet. Some people refuse to en-
tertain it, but I really get on with the small steering wheel, which gives quick, direct steering. Also, savour the im- pressive acceleration from, remember, this eco-diesel en- gine. Despite long gearing – 30mph is too slow for fourth, and 2,000rpm in sixth doesn’t arrive until 84mph – it feels like a stronger performer than its figures suggest on paper. Good job, Peugeot. Minor frustrations come
with the lack of a single-swipe windscreen wiper option, the kooky but unintuitive counter- rotating rev counter and the inconsistent stop-start system, but on the bright side the ride is
excellent.As for efficiency you can forget 88mpg in the real world, unless you often sit at 40mph in fourth. If so you’ll see as high as 110mpg on the flat, but in truth averag-
ing more than 65mpg is very tough. It’s still good, clearly, but it can’t match the figures. At £21,045 the 308 Allure BlueHDi is not cheap. But if you’re a company car driver and your main concern is emissions-based tax... well, the Peugeot’s 84g/km count will see you right.
FACTS AT A GLANCE Peugeot 308 Allure
1.6 BlueHDi 120, from £21,045
Engine: Four-cylinder
diesel producing 118bhp and 221lb/ft
Transmission: Six-speed manual driving the front wheels
Performance: Top speed 122mph, 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds
Fuel Economy: 88.3mpg Emissions: 84g/km
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