Exterior

How can you tell when you’ve achieved perfection?

When you’ve refined every detail until you can’t improve it any further? When all the individual components come together to make one, beautifully balanced whole, just as they do in the Peugeot 308?

One look at its sleek V-shaped bonnet, the wide, cat-like headlights, the distinctive, front grille with its aluminium louvres and the deeply recessed foglights, and you don’t have to be told that, in its class, this car can’t be bettered.

You just know.

Interior

When we designed the interior of the 308, we wanted it to provide truly superior comfort. So one of our top priorities was to make sure that everyone had plenty of space to stretch out in.

Part of our solution was to angle the dashboard by 30 degrees, freeing up space around the driver’s and front seat passenger’s knees. We also gave them comfortable yet slim-backed sports seats, which created a few valuable extra inches of leg room for the rear passengers.

But we didn’t stop at giving the 308 more cabin space.

To boost comfort levels even higher, we raised the back seats – treating occupants to improved visibility. And just to make the car feel really spacious and airy we designed in a huge panoramic rear window.

More clever thinking went into ensuring that the interior of the 308 was a really calm place to be. We built in high levels of sound insulation. We fitted a photosensitive rear-view mirror* to prevent the driver from being dazzled by the car behind. We even added a fragrance dispenser* so that you can fill the cabin with your favourite, mind-soothing scent.**

The little things were big priorities too. Like making sure that there were plenty of places to stow away all your family’s bits and pieces, including a compartment in the parcel shelf*** that can be accessed from the cabin or the boot, another one in the centre armrest that’s big enough to hold six CDs, plus a 10 litre refrigerated glovebox, a handbag hook and even a thoughtful glasses box.

We didn’t want you to be left in the dark when light levels started to fall either. That’s why you’ll find courtesy lights in the front and centre of the roof, as well as in the boot.

So, did we succeed in making the 308 one of the most comfortable places to be on the road? Well, we can honestly say we think you’ll be impressed.

*XTE models.

**Six fragrances available.

***XSE and XTE models.

A touch of class Part of the 308’s beauty is in the details. Evidence of our commitment to quality can be found in features like the specially woven seat trim.

People come first with us. That’s why we’ve taken all the features you can’t see on the 308 as seriously as those you can.

Beneath its elegant, dynamic lines lies a passenger safety cell that’s been designed with three impact absorption structures to soak up as much of the crash energy as possible if you’re involved in an accident.

In the event of a head-on collision, you’re protected by the main impact structure, as well as a new lower structure fitted on to the front subframe and extra reinforcements above the front wheel arches. So you and your passengers are effectively cocooned in a protective cell.

A further safeguard is provided by the 308’s collapsible steering column which retracts to prevent the engine and gearbox being pushed back into the cabin.

We’ve also designed in an active footrest which helps to prevent ankle injuries by absorbing as much of the shock as possible.

The all-round protection continues with reinforced side panels to take the brunt of the force if you’re hit from that angle, plus an aluminium alloy impact bar at the back to safeguard the cabin and the petrol tank.

If you do find yourself in a dangerous situation, it’s reassuring to know that the 308 is fully equipped with 3-point seatbelts with force limiters, which complement the restraining effect provided by the pretensioner in the driver and front seat passenger’s belts.

The 308’s final line of defence is provided by six airbags:

• Two adaptive driver and front passenger airbags for head and upper body protection, which adapt their level of inflation to match the severity of the impact.
• Two front side airbags safeguard the driver and front passenger’s chests and bodies.
• Two curtain airbags, to protect both the front and rear passengers’ heads.

At Peugeot, we go to great lengths in the pursuit of perfection.Which is one of the reasons why we are now the world leader in directinjection diesel engines, and why we’re pushing the boundaries of technology to produce more fuel-efficient engines and reduce emissions. Our latest petrol and diesel engines are the result of that passion, offering the perfect combination of fuel economy, flexibility and driving pleasure.

HDi diesel engines (High-pressure Direct Injection)

The success of our refined HDi diesels is a case in point. A Peugeot innovation, they incorporate a particulate filter (FAP) along with a pump that feeds fuel into a ‘common rail’ and they are renowned for their remarkable fuel-efficiency, high levels of torque (even at low revs) plus their radically low CO2 emissions. This very intelligent application of power also means that they are extremely rewarding to drive.

308 XS

The 308 XS is powered by the efficient 1.6-litre, 88kW  petrol engine designed in collaboration with the BMW Group.

Available with  either  a  manual or Tiptronic automatic transmission. Some highlights of the 308 XS range include the classic grille with integrated front fog lights, along with body coloured door mirrors and handles. For comfort and convenience, the XS is equipped with  cruise control + speed limiter, remote central locking, iPod connectivity, numerous storage compartments and cup holders, front seat height adjustment and a front centre armrest. For safety, the XS comes standard with 6 airbags, pretensioning front seat belts, ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Emergency Brake Assist.

308 XSE

The 308 XSE is powered by the efficient 1.6-litre, 88kW  petrol engine designed in collaboration with the BMW Group. Available with Tiptronic automatic transmission as standard.

The 308 XSE range includes the features of the 308 XS, plus  a  sports front  grille, 16" alloy wheels, body coloured side rubbing strips and 'starting' black cloth trim.  For added comfort and convenience, the XSE  also features, in addition to the XS,  electronic parking assistance, automatic rain-sensing wipers, leather trimmed steering wheel, rear centre armrest and an integrated rear parcel shelf storage compartment. For safety, the XSE also comes standard with Electronic Stability Program + traction control.

308 XTE

The 308 XTE is powered by the responsible 1.6-litre,  turbo-charged petrol engine designed in collaboration with the BMW Group. The introduction of a smaller, turbo-charged engine has seen  the power output and responsiveness increased while the fuel consumption has decreased  significantly compared to the 2.0-litre petrol engine it replaces, and was duly recognised by winning the coveted International Engine of the Year 2007 in its class. Available with  a Tiptronic automatic transmission as standard.

The 308 XTE range includes the features of the 308 XSE, plus  a  sports rear bumper, 17" alloy wheels and  a panoramic glass roof.  For added comfort and convenience, the XTE  also features, in addition to the XSE,  electronic folding door mirrors, auto-dipping rear view mirror, fragrance diffuser, a facia mounted 5 disc CD autochanger and a colour display screen. For safety, the XTE also comes standard with tyre pressure sensors.