New 308 isn’t the best compact wagon on sale, but its real-world-efficient diesel engine isn’t one to just dismiss
Peugeot seems to have rediscovered its touch for sweet-handling family cars with the new Peugeot 308 mid-sized hatchback. Much of the car’s dynamic success seems to depend on its relative lightness and compactness, however, with which heavier powertrains and added-practicality estate bodystyles might seem incompatible. So what about the bigger, heavier versions?Well, the SW estate is certainly bigger – both between the axles and in the rear overhang. It comes with the same choice on engines as the hatchback offers, so there are two tax- and supposedly fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid options, and two conventional combustion options; and it’s the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder BlueHDI turbodiesel we’re trying here. It develops an identical 129bhp at peak power as the 1.2-litre turbo petrol, but 221- rather than 170lb ft of torque to go with it, and also advertises 20 per cent better WLTP-lab-test combined fuel economy than an equivalent petrol SW.So is a 308 with a bigger boot and a rather unfashionable turbodiesel engine still a car with particular driver appeal – and how much extra passenger- and cargo-carrying versatility does it offer?
Source: Autocar
