Peugeot 308 review - Interior & comfort

The new Peugeot 308 is a very eye-catching family car; the new look features LED headlights with a distinctive shape, plus sleek bodywork, a large grille and even shield badges on the sides of some versions. It’s all part of Peugeot’s latest rebrand intended to give it a slightly more upmarket look and feel, and we think it’s been mostly successful – brand perception can be hard to shake, though, so the jury’s out on whether it can hold as much badge appeal as German rivals.

The interior continues the stylish exterior theme and it’s one of the best aspects of the car overall. It’s well designed and looks very smart and modern, plus the materials are great and there’s plenty of tech. We reckon it’s not far off something like an Audi A3, which is more expensive, and is comfortably a match for the Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia.

Peugeot 308 dashboard

The dashboard looks better than that of the previous 308, while also proving far easier to use and interact with. The new 10-inch display screen is faster to load than the previous car’s smaller screen, plus it’s easier to navigate thanks to a new touch panel below that takes you to the main functions quickly.

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It’s a shame that the climate control buttons are touch-sensitive, which makes them a bit of a pain while driving, but they’re relatively easy to use despite this, giving them the edge over the Volkswagen Golf's touch-sensitive sliders. 

All models come with something called i-Cockpit, which is Peugeot’s name for its digital dial display behind the steering wheel. The screen displays lots of useful data as well as your speed, but it sits above a tiny steering wheel that takes some getting used to. Some drivers find they can’t see the dials in their natural driving position, so have to sit a little awkwardly. It’s worth checking this doesn’t apply to you. We’ve found that the cruise control stalk is obscured by the steering wheel, too.

The new version of i-Cockpit features 3D-style graphics in top trim levels, that look smart the first time you look at them but sometimes don't appear perfect on closer examination; you can see the two needles that make the 3D effect move separately, for example.

Equipment

The trim levels in the 308 range have been simplified over the years, and now comprise just three options: Active, Allure and GT. All versions come with lane keep assist, driver attention alert, the 10-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple Carplay wired connection and i-Cockpit displays, smartphone connectivity, LED lights and autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Allure gets 17-inch alloys (18-inch in the E-308), climate control, parking sensors, a leather steering wheel, faux leather and cloth seats, auto lights and wipers and voice recognition. 

GT models have 18-inch wheels, leather-effect and Alcantara seats, auto LED Matrix headlights and a Sport driving mode. There’s also adaptive cruise control, the option of a wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connection, blind spot detection and keyless entry and go.

Options

Metallic paint costs just over £500, and you can add a tow bar (£800) and spare wheel preparation (£20), but options are minimal in the 308. Entry-level versions can add sat-nav for £1,100 but it’s better value to upgrade to a higher trim level if you want that. You can also add leather seats for around £2,000 to some versions, plus a panoramic glass roof (£1,100), a heated windscreen (£200) or an upgraded stereo (£800).