The all-new Peugeot 308 is such a vast improvement over the car it replaces that the French manufacturer should have given it a different name, writes William Scholes
FOR reasons best known to themselves, when Peugeot was thinking about what to call its new family hatchback it decided to stick with the 308 moniker.
Sticking with the same name makes some sense if, for example, you are Volkswagen and the car in question is the Golf, with all the decades of patient reputation-building that entails.
But the old 308 was always off the pace, even when it was new. That it looked peculiar - jutting chin, blingy details, disproportionately large glasshouse - was bad enough, but it also felt cheap, didn't drive particularly well and was roundly beaten by all comers.
It would therefore have been perfectly understandable for Peugeot to give its replacement a new name, even it were an equally miserable product.
But what makes persisting with the 308 badge all the more perplexing is the fact that the new car is rather good. In fact, in what is one of the toughest and most competitive parts of the market, the new 308 is good enough to catapult Peugeot right to the top of the class. If that infernal Golf was the target, Peugeot has hit the bullseye.
Those who think that French cars ought to look zany might be disappointed with the 308, but in the metal it is handsome and well proportioned, a model of restrained design.
You can't really blame Peugeot for adopting the Golf approach to design, as that seems to be what most customers in this part of the market want - indeed, the Golf was Northern Ireland's best-selling car last month (see Page 9)
But where Peugeot has bravely gone its own way is inside the car, where the driver is faced with one of the most minimalist interiors on sale today.
First, there is the comically small steering wheel, an idea Peugeot has already shown us on the 208 and 2008. The wheel on my son's ride-on
Mini is only a little smaller.
Because the rim of the tiny wheel would obscure the speedometer and rev counter if they were placed conventionally, Peugeot has raised them and pushed them apart.
A high-resolution digital screen between the dials can show information such as speed. In a neat touch, the rev counter's needle spins anti-clockwise.
Second, the decision to group all the controls - heater, audio, sat-nav - on a large centrallymounted touchscreen is a courageous one. Peugeot has fully embraced its potential, too. Beneath the screen, where rivals will likely have their heater controls, is only a large knob, set in a fillet of chrome, to control the stereo's volume. Under that are a paltry five buttons, for functions that have a safety element - hazard warning lights, door locks, window demister and so on. This goes a step further even than Audi's A3, itself a paragon of minimalism. Whether the functionality of 308's touchscreen-only approach trumps the A3's beautifully resolved controls will be a matter of personal taste, but there's little doubt it's an effective and elegant solution.
A fresh design is one thing, but what is perhaps even more surprising to anyone who sat in the old 308 is the quality feel of the materials and their fit and finish; it genuinely matches the Golf, for so long the mainstream family hatch benchmark.
The execution of the dashboard is high quality but the overall effect is boosted by the tactility of the contact points - the hefty, solid metal gearknob, the leather steering wheel and the firm, comfortable seats.
It's roomy and spacious up front, too, though sit in the back and it doesn't feel quite as well endowed in the legroom department as an A3 Sportback or Skoda Octavia.
Still, the Peugeot has some thoughtful touches, such as rear door apertures shaped in such a way that it makes lifting small children in and out very easy. The boot is large and well-shaped. When I first pushed the start button, mounted near the gear lever, I wondered if the engine had started at all, so quiet was it.
The test car was fitted with a 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine. It's a sweet, free-revving unit, with impressive refinement. Most people browbeat themselves into thinking they must have a diesel engine when in truth a petrol unit can often make more financial sense; the 308's engine makes a strong case for petrol power.
On the move, the 308 is very comfortable, with a soft, pliant ride. Unlike some rivals there aren't a plethora of 'sport', 'comfort' and 'eco' options to tweak the throttle response, and the Peugeot is all the better for it.
The small wheel seems to exacerbate the effect of a steering rack that is keen to turn quickly, and imbues the 308 with what at times is fun, darty handling - a quick flick of the wheel is all that's needed to dive on to a motorway sliproad, for example.
That being said, the 308 is happier playing the role of quiet, refined cruiser than it is back-road burner. The steering may have a direct sensation but on twisty roads, the suspension's relative softness fights against fast progress. Wind things back a notch or two, however, and the 308 is a very pleasant car to drive.
The new 308 has already won awards, and is the reigning European Car of the Year, should such things matter to you.
Peugeot have backed the step up in quality and ability by pricing the 308 more or less on a par with the Golf, and promise they aren't going to flood the market with fleet stock and discounts, which should make for better residual values than the old car.
So complete and deeply talented are the best cars in the family hatchback sector, that it would have been a major shock if the new 308 had gone straight to the top of the class.
For me, the Audi A3 Sportback is still the best hatch, though this is reflected in its higher price, and the fine-driving Mazda 3 is also worthy of serious consideration.
But the new 308 is easily good enough to merit serious consideration by anyone considering a Volkswagen Golf, while it is a notch above the likes of the Ford Focus and Renault Megane. What might be a small step for the family hatchback is also a giant leap for Peugeot; banish thoughts of the old 308, take a test drive and prepare to be amazed...