TMW - The Peugeot 308 GTi, a great car, that does everything spot on, and it's not going to hurt you in the pocket.

Over the last few years it has been a struggle for Peugeot to produce a hot hatch that actually can do what it "says on the tin", even the last 308 never had a GTi, just a GT, but like the plan that’s been completed at Peugeot HQ "Back In The Race" the 308 is back with a GTi, and one that can actually do what it "says on the tin", the 308 GTi, is back and back with a bang, now the second stage of the PSA plan "Push to Pass" is something this car can do, pass everything that comes up against it.

Peugeot has given the world a family car that can put a smile back on your face, and believe me, that smile is big and makes you look like a grinning idiot, but when you drive this car, like it is supposed to be driven, you can be forgiven for looking that way

And this is not top model, the one tested here is the THP 250, at just shy of £27,000, you can go one up and have the daddy, the THP 270, which is around £28,500, but less about that, and more about the lead in GTi, you would be forgiven for thinking this is the top model, with the decent level of tech, kit, decent looks and seats that massage as you drive, which I took advantage of at every opportunity.

The GTi has been tuned, refined and tweaked by the boffins at Peugeot Sport to give us this new car, giving the driver a huge leap over the standard car through the chassis and steering, giving an unparallelled experience, can you tell yet I really like this car?

The car itself is slightly lowered, 11mm, does not sound a lot, but it makes all the difference, along with uprated dampers, slightly more camber, bigger anti roll bars, and stiffer springs, 60% front 100% rear, all combine to tell you that Peugeot are really gunning for the competition, the difference in spring stiffness gives a slightly softer ride at the front, which may sound odd, but it does work extremely well, someone has really done their homework to get this right.

ON THE ROAD

The car really does perform well on the road, the large tyres on 18 Inch rims seems to grip the road like nothing else, you can throw it about and it just keeps on giving, pull away from lights, or junctions with a little umph and the grip is there, no issues, no complaints, it just stays where you put it, take a corner at speed, and the same thing, it is like a train on tracks, point and it will go without any issues, and that’s brilliant, the car is already stacking up many positive points, and we haven't even gotten half way yet.

Drive the car nicely and you will not get the lift off oversteer, which is ideal when pushed a little too hard, and it's when you push it a little harder that you would be forgiven for thinking that the GTi has a bigger engine than it has, it is only and I say only, because this is an amazing power plant, a 1.6 litre, and god can it shift, and through the gears the power remains constant and on tap, the car can reach 70mph before you even think about it, and it goes past that without you even noticing, which can be a little off putting when you see what speed you are actually doing.

Peugeot has won the Engine of the year in both 2016 and 2015, and you can understand why, it is quiet, powerful and efficient, and whereas some other brands might utilise a 2.0 litre or bigger to get the same power output, a 1.6 litre is more than enough to make you think it you are driving a bigger powerplant.

The 308 GTi is a car that can and does beat the opposition with a stick, and then it comes back and beats them some more, that’s how good this car is, it gives you a smile every time you drive it, and then there is that button, the button that just sits there anonymously, waiting to be pressed, waiting for you, the unsuspecting driver to press it and wonder what it does, you look, and wonder, wonder and look, and your finger wafts over it and you hold back, worrying that it might be something you should not press, then, that urge, it takes hold of you and you press the button, and the car turns into an evil twin of the car that was there just a few seconds before.

The car stiffens up, and the EMP 2 Platform copes perfectly with all the power that, that button can provide, on the dash between the dials you get “dynamic readout”, Torque, Power and Boost, Just in case you cannot feel how naughty you are being, it's quicker, noisier, in a great way, and more planted.

If you read the blog frequently you will know that a couple of weeks back we did a road test report on the GT Line 308, in essence it is the same car, but forget that, this car, looks the same, but it is an evil twin, it does everything the other car doesn’t, and that’s more of everything.

The seats had the massage function, and on a personal note, for someone that does suffer from Back issues, this really helped, I think this car should be on the NHS, and I will get my Dr to add it to my prescription.

The gear change is very slick, and works well at lower revs right through the rev range until you hit the red line, when the limiter tells you off for being a little too eager, the clutch too is light, but not too light as to give you slippage, you get none of that in this model.

Space is the same as the other car we tested, so it is more than adequate, with rear seat passengers having lots of room, and boot space is quite generous too.

The car also comes with a whole host of standard equipment, included is :-

-       Dual zone climate control

-       Cruise control with speed limiter

-       Electric handbrake

-       Visibility pack: Automatic headlights & windscreen        wipers, electrochrome auto dimming rear mirror

-       Reversing camera

-       Front & rear parking sensors

-       Power folding door mirrors with courtesy approach        lighting

-       Peugeot Open & Go system (keyless entry & push        button start)

-       -18" 'Diamant' alloy wheels

-       Tinted rear side windows

-       Full LED headlamps with fully integrated LED               daytime running lights

-       Front LED sequential indicators

-       -In-car entertainment and satellite navigation

-       9.7” multifunction colour touchscreen

-       Satellite navigation - USB input for external audio          device

-       DAB digital radio

-       Bluetooth

-       Trip computer Interior features

-       Driver & front passenger seat lumbar adjustment

-       Sports style seats trimmed in leather effect & half          alcantara with red stitching

-       Mistral Nappa GTi style leather steering wheel with      red stitching

-       GTi style carpet mats

-       Aluminium style pedals and door sills

-       Adjustable front centre armrest

-       Driver sport pack

THE NUMBERS

Considering that the car is a sporty hatchback, it comes in at a very reasonable 139g/km CO2, it can shift from 0-62 in 6.2 seconds, just 0.2 slower than the top model, it is understandable that the fuel consumption is not the best out of the range, because you know you are going to be a little heavy right footed, to get the thrills that this car offers but you can get:-

·        Urban Drive Cycle – 34.9mpg (8.1)

·        Extra urban Drive Cycle – 57.6mpg (4.9)

·        Combined Drive Cycle – 47.1mpg (6.0)

It goes to show how easy it is to keep those figures low, according to the computer on the car, I managed to get just 37.1mpg, but I had a lot of fun getting to that figure.

The interior of the car is very sombre place to be, the car is all black with the exception of dashes of red here and there, and because of the black look it makes the red highlights stand out far better, the soft touch plastics, the leather and alcantara all play their part in making the interior a special place to be.

VERDICT

Is there anything wrong with this car, well, no, not really, it does everything you want it to do, and it does it really well, the comfort is spot on for a car like this, the power and delivery is excellent, it grips to the road, like me with a tenner in my hand (so that’s really good), it looks the part both in and out, subtle and direct, you can tell you are looking at something special from the way this car sits, and then you have that noise, a raucous gravelly muscular growl, that alone shows you’re in something very special.

Would I spend my money on one, too right I would, you're getting a really good car that's fast, comfortable and will not kill your wallet, from the looks to the sound, you will not be disappointed, and if you are in the market for a car of this ilk, you would be very remiss not to seriously consider it, personally, the Golf is bland next to this, so why bother with sauerkraut when you can have à la carte at home ?

The Motoring World Blog

Jon Mower