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Peugeot 308: economy and performance

Finally, says expert car reviewer Andrew Frankel, a Peugeot that's good to look at and decent to drive

Peugeot 308 Active 1.6 BlueHDi

Just look at the numbers: here is a fully formed five-seat family hatchback, claimed to be capable of more than 90mpg. And even though the way these numbers are calculated results in closer to 65mpg being a more realistic target for most users, this still means fuel consumption that the smallest, lightest, most meanly equipped urban runabout would have struggled to approach even a few years ago, is now available in a quiet and comfortable family car.

And Peugeot hasn’t achieved this by simply providing performance so poor this 308 would struggle to get out of its own way. A top speed of over 120mph and a 0-62mph time of less than 10 seconds should be enough for most.

Images: Newspress, Peugeot. Video: Liam Murphy

Performance

  • Engine: 1560cc, 118bhp
  • Transmission: 6-speed manual
  • Top speed: 122mph
  • 0-60mph acceleration: 9.7sec

Costs

  • This model from: £19,845
  • Claimed economy: 91.1mpg
  • VED: Group A
  • Insurance Group: 20 (1=low, 50=high)

RAC Drive Verdict

Practicality
4 / 5
Affordability
4 / 5
Safety
5 / 5
Fun
2 / 5