Peugeot 308. Stylish and bold ‘kitty’
In 2021, the manufacturer introduced the third generation of the French hatchback into the market.
The Peugeot 308 is a compact front-wheel drive C-class car from the French automobile maker, Peugeot, a member of PSA Peugeot Citroën Group. It was originally built on the common PSA PF 2 modular platform, which was used for all compact cars of PSA Group of that time.
Production of the 308 began in 2007, the new car replaced the previous Peugeot 307. The model is being produced to the present (as for 2020). There are currently 2 generations of the 308 cars, and each has its own restyled version. The first generation Peugeot 308 was produced until 2015 and underwent restyling in 2013. The second generation appeared in 2013, and a new restyled version was released in 2017. This restyled model that offered on the Israeli market in 2020.
At the beginning, the Peugeot 308 had a wide variety of bodies: a 3- and 5-door hatchback, an estate, a sedan, and even a convertible. Today, only the estate and a 5-door hatchback, which is available in Israel, are being sold.
The first generation
The first generation of the 308 models made a huge impression! It was the first Peugeot car to have an original exterior, a panoramic roof and a wide list of standard equipment, which at that time was only available in the higher class vehicles. The Peugeot design is distinguished by its ‘feline’ appearance, and the 308th ‘kitty’ turned out to be quite elegant. No wonder the Peugeot 308 won the ‘Car of the Year’ Award in Europe!
Compared to the 307, the 308 became wider and slightly lower, which made the car more spacious. The car boasted a great steering response, excellent road holding ability, was not prone to skidding or slipping, and perfectly handled the turns. In addition, at the beginning, an extensive range of different engines and transmissions was offered.
The first Peugeot 308 won the ‘Car of the Year’ Award in Europe.
The restyled version of the first generation Peugeot 308, which entered the market in 2011, was equipped with the new bumper, fenders, hood, lighting equipment and individual external decorative elements. Some of the external lighting equipment of the Peugeot 308 was switched to LEDs. As for the body and chassis, interior and equipment, no changes were made. However, the automatic transmission was upgraded, the 2013 restyled version was equipped with the AT8, instead of the AL4.
The second generation
Introduced in 2013, the second generation Peugeot 308 has become bolder and sportier. It is built on a completely new EMP2 (Efficient Modular Platform 2) platform. The second 308 is lighter by 140 kg, which has a positive effect on its dynamics and fuel consumption. The second generation Peugeot 308 has a completely new front face: a radiator grille with chrome surround and two ‘cat’ headlights. Each headlight has 31 LEDs, which form a beam of low beam light and two modules of four high beam diodes. They consume 50% less energy than halogen lamps and 35% less than xenon lamps. The rear end of the Peugeot 308 is lowered to add solidity and sportiness to the car. The trunk has a capacity of 420 liters, which can grow to 1,309 liters with the seats folded down. And it became a real gift for fans of the French compact ‘lion’!
To make the car even ‘sportier’, the steering wheel has been made smaller, and the front panel has been raised. The electronic ‘filling’ of the car has been matched accordingly. The second Peugeot 308 has automatic warning systems, emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, as well as keyless access, an electric parking brake, a rear-view camera and much more.
The car has passed European crash tests for safety several times. Back in 2007, the safety for passengers and pedestrians was not on top. But the second generation 308 Peugeot 2013 has received decent safety results: 92% - for an adult passenger, 79% - for a child, 64% - for a pedestrian, active safety - 81%.
The exterior of the upgraded 2017/2018 Peugeot 308 is quite stylish and modern, so you cannot miss it.
The second generation of the Peugeot 308 was restyled in 2017. In Israel, this car is presented as a 5-door hatchback. The external dimensions of the restyled version remained the same. And it is still front-wheel drive. No significant changes have been made to the car, but there are still some differences.
The restyled Peugeot 308 model is distinguished by an upgraded front face, a more modern multimedia system, a modified engine line, as well as a set of absolutely new electronic assistants and security systems. The exterior of the upgraded Peugeot 308 is quite stylish and modern, so you cannot miss it. The exterior is really eye-catching, the French designers did a very good job. It is noteworthy that the smooth body lines made it possible to achieve an excellent air drag coefficient of only 0.28 Cx.
