2023 Peugeot 308 hatchback new car review

New hatchback has style and charisma few others can match but there are some things that potential owners need to know.

The Peugeot 308 is available in three models, GT Hatch, GT Premium Hatch and GT Premium Wagon.

Peugeot’s updated 308 brings style to the hatchback class that few cars can match.

The lion looks great

A gothic-looking crest places a chrome lion on a black shield on a grille reminiscent of a Star Wars ship going into hyperspace. We reckon it looks great and Peugeot clearly agreed, putting the same badge on the boot and side wheel arches, just ahead of the front doors.

Headlights slashing into the front bumper are a particular highlight, and we also like the look of dark tail-lamps with precise blades of illumination.

It’s 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo engine doesn’t live up to the GT badge.

The interior is similarly attractive, with a hologram-like digital dashboard and widescreen central display augmented by a cool digital panel with shortcuts to key features.

But the claws aren’t sharp

That stylish crest joins a “GT” badge that doesn’t sit well on the 308’s tailgate. It’s not as though the letters are crooked, but there’s a sniff of stolen valour here. Should the GT badge be bestowed on a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder car that needs almost 10 seconds to reach the speed limit?

It’s really not quick, or particularly agile in the bends.

Buyers can choose between a hatch and wagon body shape.

Eight tightly-packed ratios in the automatic transmission do their best to make 96kW and 230Nm feel brisk, but claimed 0-100km/h times of 9.7 seconds for the hatch, and 9.9 for the wagon suggest it’s not particularly rapid. Also, the GT is the cheapest model in the range, which is a bit weird to Aussie drivers raised on Ford Falcon line-ups crowned by halo models wearing the same badge.

The cabin feels premium, too.

Premium comes at a price

The Peugeot 308 range starts from about $48,000 drive-away, which lands a well-equipped hatchback with a digital dash, 10-inch touchscreen, wireless charging and premium trim with green stitching.

Spend another $5000 and you can take home a GT Premium version with a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof and heated seats with a massaging function. If there’s more room in the budget, there’s a range-topping 308 plug-in hybrid priced from an eye-watering $71,500 drive-away – big money for a small car.

The 308 is one of the best looking hatchbacks on the market.

It makes more sense as a wagon

The mid-range 308 GT Premium is available as a long-roofed wagon for about $55,000 drive-away – a premium of just $1500.

The wagon uses the same 5.3L/100km of premium unleaded, but delivers improved rear legroom thanks to a longer wheelbase. The boot is much larger too, with 608 litres of space that puts it well ahead of the hatchback’s 384 litres.

It’s a little less brisk in a straight line, but the regular 308 is hardly a dragster, so you might as well enjoy an extra dollop of practicality.

We’ve had a tricky run with tech

Our first loan of a 308 required a visit from a technician to sort out electrical gremlins that prevented the car from starting. The next booking saw a temporary failure of the car’s central infotainment system, which prevented us from accessing phone, radio or climate control features on the morning commute to work.

Both issues were resolved in a day, but we weren’t thrilled by the inconvenience.

Happily, all new Peugeots have a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assistance that should keep you motoring.