Cars

Peugeot's refreshed 308 says, 'Bonjour'

Peugeot 308
Peugeot 308 Peugeot 308

PEUGEOT'S updated 308 family car has gone on sale.

It might be eclipsed by the 3008 in the company's line-up, but the 308 - offered in hatchback and estate forms - is still a solid contender for those yet to be won over by the charms of a higher-riding SUV.

The update includes the usual new wheel designs and paint colours, and there's now a 'black pack' option which swaps the usual chrome exterior trim for glossy black.

All models have a digital dashboard display, with Peugeot's now-trademark small steering wheel and its so-called i-Cockpit arrangement.

Peugeot 308
Peugeot 308 Peugeot 308

There's also a 9.7-inch high-definition colour touchscreen too with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Trim levels start with 'Active Premium' (from £21,270) and rise to Allure (from £23,240), Allure Premium (from £23,990), GT (from £26,630), GT Premium (from £27,380) and GTi (£31,985) versions.

Estate models are around £1,000 more expensive than the relative hatchback.

A range of driver assistance systems are available too, including adaptive cruise control with 'stop and go', automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning.

Most models are offered with either a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine or a 1.5-litre diesel unit.

The sweet petrol unit can be had in either 109bhp or 128bhp tunes, while the diesel is only offered in 128bhp guise.

Peugeot 308
Peugeot 308 Peugeot 308

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard and the 128bhp cars can be ordered with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The 308 GTi is rather less concerned about easy-going efficiency than its siblings. It gets a snorty 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 256bhp and 251lb ft - enough to give it a 0-60mph time of 6 seconds flat.

It is also generously decked out with hot hatch essentials - bucket seats, twin exhausts, red stitching on the upholstery and bigger brakes.

Peugeot 308
Peugeot 308 Peugeot 308