Lefevre (pronounced Le FEV) is one of the most common surnames in France, with fevre being as common as Smith and ironically Lefevre meaning blacksmith. Something equally as common in France (and rising in popularity here) is the Peugeot 308, and now it too has a PHEV (FEV) in its name.
The Peugeot 308 was first established around 2007 as a successor to the 307 and with its first two generations selling around 1.3 million units globally (and the previous model winning European Car of the Year) it’s fair to say it’s been very well received.
Having already reviewed the all-new model, twice in fact (once in France the other here in NZ) I’ll spare you the full walkaround, but the highlights are that the 308 is such an important model that it’s the first to wear the new ‘lion’s head’ shield, has a redesigned grille, sabre-design lights and a whole new (and tech heavy) interior.
Anyway, like my other two times behind the wheel of the 308 (this is becoming a nice habit), my review model came in Olivine green and for this you’ll have no complaints from me, the hero colour is a real standout and receives plenty of admiring comments – from men and women alike.
Although most of the core design and features across the new 308’s range are similarly well-spec’d, locally, one of the main differences between the Petrol GT and the PHEV GT (aside from the PHEV powertrain which I’ll get to in a moment) is the lack of glass roof – and that I’m told is to ensure that the price ($74,990+orc) can claim the clean car rebate (currently $5,750) – as if the new 308 PHEV wasn’t attractive enough.
Now about Le PHEV. Powering the 308 PHEV is a combination of a 1.6L turbo petrol engine 132kW/250Nm, an 81kW/320Nm electric motor, a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery and an 8-speed (e-EAT8) transmission, which is quite a lot of hardware for a hatch that’s only 4.37m long.
Together they give you 165kW of power, 360Nm of torque, 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds, 1L/100km fuel-efficiency, 5g co2/km and an EV only range of 61km (although obviously not all at the same time).
Another difference between the petrol and PHEV GT is that the PHEV has a ‘refuelling flap’ on each side of the car, one for good ‘ol gasoline (40L tank) and the other for AC charging, with an estimated 0-100% charging time of 3.5 hours on a 7.4kW wall charger (7 hours on a 10A socket).
And then there’s the way it drives. Having a plug-in hybrid powertrain means that you’ll be impressed with its off the line speed, it’s a whole 2.2 seconds faster to 100km/h than its fossil-fueled sibling, and it feels much faster too.
As with the conventional GT, the sporty cabin and tiny steering wheel makes you feel like a bit of a racer, and despite the PHEV tipping the scales a whole 345 kg heavier than the petrol version, the low down weight makes the PHEV more stoic in its cornering, making it a more thrilling drive – albeit without the off-kilter 3-cylinder engine note.
The boot space is compromised by -51L, however, it’s still 361L so more than enough for a small family’s grocery shop or whatever you should choose to throw in there.
On the upside, the Infotainment screen (which can be a little fingerprint) comes with an extra EV menu that shows the likes of energy flow and energy usage and should you not be able to plug your 308 PHEV in, there is an eSave feature that will allow you to have the engine cut in when the battery level gets to 10 or 20 km or you can fully-charge it using the petrol engine – which basically defeats the whole object of a PHEV.
The i-cockpit has a different screen layout too, with two energy gauges (petrol and battery) to minimise any range anxiety, a power dial showing if you’re using or charging and a three tier driving mode display that confirms which mode (Sport, Hybrid, EV) you’re in.
I spent the majority of my time in hybrid mode and essentially let the 308 PHEV do its own thing, to which it works famously. I also utilised the B-button )at the foot of the transmission tree) which helped add extra charge to the battery, especially when going down steep hills. As a bonus, I didn’t have to use the brake pedal as much, for example, keeping to 80 km/h in the Vic Park tunnel.
Having driven (and been impressed with) the new Peugeot on three separate occasions now I feel like a bit of an expert, the regular GT is slightly better equipped, especially for those that like a bit of sun on their heads, but the PHEV feels more in tune with the sportier Peugeot’s of old, quicker off the mark and more fun in the curves – I guess you can figure my preference – the Smith’s have it.
