Peugeot 308 GTi: price, specs and release date

After months of speculation, Peugeot has unveiled their latest hot hatchback – the Peugeot 308 GTi. The new flagship 308 slots in above the Peugeot 308 GT and will go head-to-head with the Ford Focus ST and SEAT Leon Cupra, along with the recently launched Honda Civic Type R.

The Peugeot 308 GTi is the third model in recent years to be produced by Peugeot Sport, the French brand’s performance division, and follows on from the 208 GTi hatchback and the RCZ-R coupe.

23

Peugeot has an illustrious history of creating performance versions of its ‘standard’ cars, with the most iconic example being the 205 GTi from the mid-eighties. Other past models include the Peugeot 306 GTi-6 and 206 GTi from the late nineties. Peugeot has sold around 800,000 of their GTi models collectively.

The new hot hatch will make its world debut at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show and Festival of Speed.

New Peugeot 308 GTi design

Peugeot Sport engineers have tweaked the look of the 308 to aid performance and to make sure the car has the visual impact of a car wearing the GTi badge. The hot hatchback sits 11mm lower to the ground and is wider than the standard 308 too.

The front bumper is lower and chunkier than the standard car and the grille has a 3D chequered effect, finished in gloss black. Full LED headlights are fitted to the GTi along with 19-inch ‘Carbone’ alloy wheels and at the back, the bodykit is completed by a more pronounced rear bumper and two large exhaust pipes.

23

Along with a range of other colours, the 308 GTi can be specified with a special two-tone ‘Coupe Franche’ finish. The design uses the metallic ‘Ultimate Red’ and applies ‘Nera Black’ to the rear end for a sharp contrast and is a £1,300 option. This is the opposite to the 208 GTi 30th Anniversary Edition, which uses a matte black finish with gloss red on the rear.

The design of the 308 GTi isn’t as outrageous as the new Honda Civic Type R but it will still be easy to identify out on the road.

Interior

The GTi model uses the same interior as the standard 308 hatchback but with some extra, unique touches.

Contrasting red stitching dominates the cabin – it’s found on the seats, the doors and even the floor mats. There’s a chunky metal gearknob and metal pedals, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel has sporty detailing such as perforated leather, a red strip at the top and a bold GTi badge.

23

Sports seats come as standard and are half-leather, half Alcantara, and the 308 GTi has a head-up display above the instrument cluster with a touchscreen display dominating the centre of the dashboard.

The 308 GTi has the Driver Sport Pack as standard, which includes a Sport button that changes the colour of the dials from white to red while improving throttle response and making the exhaust note louder.

Engine and performance

Under the bonnet, the new 308 GTi features the 1.6-litre THP petrol engine that’s already found in the RCZ-R coupe. It’s available in the 308 GTi with either 250bhp or 270bhp.

Peugeot claims that both versions have emissions of just 139g/km, so road tax is £130 per year, and fuel economy tops out at 47.1mpg. Both cars are electronically limited to 155mph.

23

As for performance, the more powerful 270bhp version does 0-62mph in just six seconds, so it keeps up with its smaller 208 GTi brother and beats the Ford Focus ST. It can’t, however, match the Honda Civic Type R, which currently holds the record for the fastest accelerating front-wheel-drive production car thanks to a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds.

The 308 GTi is also equipped with a limited-slip differential. This mechanical component moves the power between the driven wheels to make sure the 308 GTi has as much grip as possible when cornering.

Price and release date

The Peugeot 308 GTi 250 is priced from £26,555 and the more powerful GTi 270 starts at £28,155. There’s no official release date yet, but we expect the car to go on sale in October.

For more on Peugeot’s current range, including the Peugeot 208 GTi and the RCZ-R coupe, visit Carbuyer’s reviews page.