8
Peugeot’s new 308 BlueHDi diesel offers more poke, lower CO2 and an impressive claimed economy of over 70mpg

What is it?

In a nutshell, this is where Peugeot’s Peugeot 308 C-segment hatchback – its best effort yet at challenging the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus – meets an all-new range of cleaner, more powerful and more frugal diesels, grouped under the BlueHDi brand name.


If you read newspapers, you’ll already know that turbodiesel engines have been losing their lustre, the decline accompanied by a lot of florid, they’re-killing-our-kids headlines. The truth is, oil burners have always been good news for helping to keep CO2 outputs respectable, but until recently many have given too free a rein to other exhaust pollutants, especially particulates and oxides of nitrogen.

Peugeot, a leader in diesel research from way back, has been fitting exhaust particulate traps on its cars since 2007. Its latest step is to unveil a new diesel family, BlueHDi, which uses a new three-element emission control technology to cut pollutants back to stricter Euro 6 levels that are coming soon. It boosts power and torque into the bargain; the company’s engine men claim it as “the most efficient emission control system on the market”.

A handy way of judging the effectiveness of BlueHDi, is to compare Peugeot’s current 1.6-litre e-HDi-engined 308 (115bhp, 95g/km CO2 and 76.3mpg combined) with the new BlueHDi version (120bhp, 82g/km and 91.1mpg combined), and then factor in the knowledge that the newer one already complies with Euro 6 emissions standards that don’t take effect until January 2016. It’s an impressive step forward.

What's it like?

We drove a new top performance BlueHDi version, the 148bhp 2.0-litre in luxurious Feline spec. It takes 8.9 seconds to achieve 0-60mph and can exceed 130mph flat out, yet still deliver just over 70mpg on the combined cycle - a performance that translates into easy everyday consumption in the 55mpg region, with 60mpg perfectly possible in give-and-take driving, providing you’re willing to make the effort.

The 308 is a pleasant and docile car with a crisp throttle response, very useful and impressive low-end flexibility and very good passing acceleration, provided you remember to change up early: it runs out of puff not far over 4000rpm.

However its refinement isn’t the best: you always hear the engine, and the idle is more rattly than many. The gearchange, though well defined in its action, feels more 'grainy' than most close to the top of this hard-fought class, and its long lever seems rather at odds with the small, low-set steering wheel which is so convenient to twirl in tight, low-speed manoeuvres. 

The 308 is impressive in most other ways, although there are a couple of 'soft' areas: the car isn’t quite as generously proportioned in the rear compartment and boot as the class leaders, although most users will probably find it decent enough. 

Dynamically speaking, its body control is fine but the secondary comfort is disappointing: on the optional 225/40x18inch tyres (17s are standard) our test car picked up surface noise and jitters far more easily than its best competitors.

Should I buy one?

The new BlueHDi engines add a lot to the already-strong Peugeot 308 range. With the new 2.0-litre version fitted, the 308 becomes quite a quick car, especially on difficult B-roads where the engine’s flexibility and quick-acting torque come into play, along with the good handling and quick steering. Seems to us Peugeot is moving steadily through the field towards the front of the pack.

Back to top

Peugeot 308 BlueHDi 150 Feline

Price £23,045 0-62mph 8.9sec Top speed 132mph Economy 70.6mpg combined C02 105g/km Kerbweight 1490kg Engine 4 cyls, 1997cc, turbodiesel Installation transverse, fwd Power 148bhp at 3750rpm Torque 273lb ft at 2000rpm Gearbox 6-spd manual

Steve Cropley

Steve Cropley Autocar
Title: Editor-in-chief

Steve Cropley is the oldest of Autocar’s editorial team, or the most experienced if you want to be polite about it. He joined over 30 years ago, and has driven many cars and interviewed many people in half a century in the business. 

Cropley, who regards himself as the magazine’s “long stop”, has seen many changes since Autocar was a print-only affair, but claims that in such a fast moving environment he has little appetite for looking back. 

He has been surprised and delighted by the generous reception afforded the My Week In Cars podcast he makes with long suffering colleague Matt Prior, and calls it the most enjoyable part of his working week.

Join the debate

Comments
14
Add a comment…
Magellan 23 May 2014

An owner speaks

After just over a week, absolutely no regrets about my choice: 308 Active 1.2 petrol hatchback. It just keeps getting better the more I get to know it. Autocar says:
"Seems to us Peugeot is moving steadily through the field towards the front of the pack."
Time to revisit the Top 5 family hatchbacks? I looked at all of the current list and road tested a Golf and a Focus. Even ignoring price the 308 goes straight to the top.
nicebiscuit 21 May 2014

...which is why I think published residual figures are nonsense

Take a non premium £22k car and a preminum £22k car. You'll always be told that the premium one holds lots more of its value. It probably does against 'list', however the new car buyer doesn't pay £22k for the non premium car, they pay £17-18k after discount. Conversely the premium car probably cost £24k after 'essential' extras. So at trade in, which loses the most money? I'm genuinely interested and never seen an answer.
Frightmare Bob 21 May 2014

nicebiscuit wrote:Take a non

nicebiscuit wrote:

Take a non premium £22k car and a preminum £22k car. You'll always be told that the premium one holds lots more of its value. It probably does against 'list', however the new car buyer doesn't pay £22k for the non premium car, they pay £17-18k after discount. Conversely the premium car probably cost £24k after 'essential' extras. So at trade in, which loses the most money? I'm genuinely interested and never seen an answer.

The person that buys the non-premium car, when it is a couple of years old, probably does best financially.

superstevie 22 May 2014

Frightmare Bob

Frightmare Bob wrote:
nicebiscuit wrote:

Take a non premium £22k car and a preminum £22k car. You'll always be told that the premium one holds lots more of its value. It probably does against 'list', however the new car buyer doesn't pay £22k for the non premium car, they pay £17-18k after discount. Conversely the premium car probably cost £24k after 'essential' extras. So at trade in, which loses the most money? I'm genuinely interested and never seen an answer.

The person that buys the non-premium car, when it is a couple of years old, probably does best financially.

I did this on a year old Citroen c4. 18k car when new bout for just over 10k with added extra warranty

Sid Slim 21 May 2014

Euro 6

The type-approval deadline for Euro 6 is September 2014. The standard is binding for all cars sold from September 2015. I don't think Peugeot are doing anything radically innovative here, just the minimum that all manufacturers are being required to undertake.