Peugeot has a long line of hot hatches with cult followings dating all the way back to the 205 GTi.
Here we have the latest entrant to the French marque’s hot hatch canon, the 308 GTi (or 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport to give it its full, somewhat clunky title).
It has a 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol engine that drops either 250 or 270bhp onto the tarmac through the front wheels.
Just a few years ago that would have been enough to make it easily the most powerful hot hatch out there, but times have moved on.
The 308 GTi goes up against the Ford Focus ST and Volkswagen Golf GTi, which have 250 and 265bhp respectively.
It sits underneath the hottest of the hot hatches, however. The Honda Civic Type R (306bhp) and amazing four-wheel drive Focus RS (350bhp) are significantly more powerful – but also cost quite a bit extra.
Peugeot prices sit between the £26,000 and £28,000 mark, although my car came with a two-tone red and black paintjob that boosted the cost by £1,300. I wouldn’t really recommend it.
I would recommend the car itself, however. Peugeot have had a long time to get their hot hatch formula right.
The marque has a reputation for fine ride and handling and the 308GTi does not let the side down in this regard.
It’s one of the most comfortable hot hatches I’ve drive, with a cossetting ride not far off that offered by the regular 308. I drove from Dundee to Glasgow in perfect comfort.
It’s not scared of a bend either. The steering is light but responsive and it remains flat through hard cornering.
Push it to the nth degree and it doesn’t have the ultimate grip of a Civic Type R or, especially, a four-wheel drive Focus RS.
You would really have to be on a track to notice the difference though: on a public road this has more grip than most drivers should ever need.
The engine doesn’t short change you either. I had the more powerful of the two options. Its 270bhp launch the car from 0-62mph in six seconds dead. Go for the slightly cheaper 250bhp model and it only takes 0.2 of a second longer to hit 62mph.
Both versions are electronically limited to a 155mph top speed.
Hot hatch running costs are not normally low but the Peugeot surprised me.
he engine is arguably the most efficient in its sector, as you might expect given that it’s just 1.6-litres in size (rivals use 2.0-litre units). CO2 emissions are rated at 139g/km, while combined cycle fuel economy is 47.1mpg.
The 308 GTi looks the part as well. It doesn’t harm matters that the standard 308’s a decent looking car.
As you’d expect, this flagship hot hatch model stands out even more, with enhancements from exhausts to alloy wheels to ensure people know you’re driving something a bit special.
Inside, there’s plenty of GTi badging. The centre console is admirably uncluttered. This is because almost everything is controlled via a central touchscreen. This isn’t necessarily a good thing – you have to pull over to adjust the temperature setting – and I think car makers will go back to old fashioned buttons once this touchscreen fad has run its course.
Overall, thought, there isn’t much not to like about the 308GTi.
It’s not quite as “pure” a hot hatch as some but it’s still extremely quick and handles well. For me a bit of comfort and refinement are the icing on the cake.
jmckeown@thecourier.co.uk
Price:
£28,455
0-62mph:
6.0 seconds
Top speed:
155mph
Economy:
47.1mpg
CO2 emissions:
139g/km