The second-generation Peugeot 308, which is part of the French manufacturer’s continuing push to cultivate a more upmarket brand image, has been unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show.
Peugeot is promising significant improvements in efficiency, driving dynamics and quality from the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf rival.
At 4.25m long and 1.46m high, the new 308 is slightly shorter and lower than the outgoing version of the small family car.
The car is underpinned by the latest EMP2 platform engineered by Peugeot’s parent company, PSA, for use on many future C and D-segment cars wearing the Peugeot and Citroën badges.
The new platform has given Peugeot’s designers the opportunity to give the new 308 a bolder shape than its predecessor, and also provides weight saving and dynamic benefits.
The platform features lower engine-mounting positions, which in turn allow for a more aggressive, sharper front-end design with a lower bonnet than seen on the current Peugeot range. There is also more interior room, with boot space put at 470 litres below the parcel shelf.
In terms of exterior design, the 308 incorporates elements of the most recent 208, and also references design cues from the sleek Peugeot Onyx concept car first unveiled at last year’s Paris motor show.
Peugeot claims that the new 308 is as much as 140kg lighter than its predecessor, depending on engine derivative and trim specification. Emissions are also improved, with CO2 coming in as low as 85g/km on the most economical variants.
The interior adopts what Peugeot refers to as its ‘i-cockpit’ philosophy, which borrows the compact steering wheel and heads-up instrument binnacle seen in the 208 hatch.
A tall centre console houses a 9.7in touchscreen via which many of the major controls are operated, allowing Peugeot’s interior designers to create a dashboard that features less buttons and high-quality materials.
The new Peugeot 308 will be produced in the Sochaux plant in France, with engines coming from PSA’s Trémery and Douvrin sites. It will be one of the stars of Peugeot’s stand at the Frankfurt motor show on 10 September.
Sales will start during late autumn 2013 in Europe, with right-hand drive UK cars arriving in dealers in January 2014.
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Why this old thread re-cycled?
The oldest message on this tread is months old yet suddenly it pops up again. Funny I thought!
Improved car design. No doubt.
The new 308 car design is a definite improvement on the first-generation model. However, the new styling still won't enable it to become the pack leader in the hatchback segment.
Upmarket Image?
Why are Peugeot trying to cultivate a more upmarket image? They struggle to compete in the mainstream market so why do they have illusions of grandeur? It's just the usual rubbish spouted by every mainstream manufacturer when they reveal a new model.