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Driving the Peugeot 308 GT Line, now with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, was a surprising highlight of my 2016 car review list.

I’d driven the 308 at its local launch back in March 2015. A few weeks later, I had the same car on test for a week, although both were in 6-speed manual guise. I was impressed then and I am again now. Perhaps even more so, now that it is mated to an automatic gearbox.

Interestingly, the 308 was the 2014 European Car of the Year and a local finalist in our own 2015 Car of the Year competition.

The automatic gearbox, which is a new addition to the range, is the candy coating on the Crème of the 308’s proverbial Brûlée.

A Brûlée, because the 308 has been built off a phenomenal base: its chassis. When driving the 308, you quickly become aware of how well-poised the car is: refined, but not devoid of feeling; solid without being overtly rigid. It’s a perfect balance between comfort and sporty driving dynamics.

It is 140kgs lighter than the car it replaced. This has allowed the use of a smaller capacity engine. South African-allocated 308’s are driven by a PureTech 1.2-l turbocharger engine: a highlight of the 308 and a defining part of its character. The 1.2-l doesn’t employ a traditional 4-cylinder motor, but rather a new age 3-cylinder. There are two benefits: it emits a playful peppery thrumming note due to its 3-cylinder configuration and it saves fuel.

Power is ample at 96kW which offers the perfect amount of oomph for daily commutes, albeit racing from robot to robot is best left to GTis or Peugeot’s 308 GT model which features their award-winning 1.6-l turbocharged engine. With that said, you can expect the 1.2-l to hit 100km/h from zero in around 11 seconds.

Gear shifts from its 6-speed automatic are quick, almost seamless and direct. The gearbox selects the right gear at the right time without hunting between gears for no good reason other than bad engineering.

On the inside, the 308 has a large boot - huge in fact. I actually think it is the biggest within its class. Back seat accommodation has been compromised as a result, but it’s still better than a Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

Upfront, the accommodation is snug with the supportive suede-like sports seats. A playful addition is its automated massage function that gently massages you while driving. The seating position takes getting used to - the layout is best suited for smaller to averaged sized people.

The dashboard is simplistic. All traditional knobs and switchgears have been incorporated into Peugeot’s touchscreen infotainment system. Not the easiest to use, but after multiple times of playing with it, I became more familiar.

Why I enjoyed the 308 so much is due to the cars warm and friendly character. Like a good friend or a loyal Labrador, the 308 leaves you feeling loved.

What I liked:
Quality built.
Great engine.
Nice automatic gearbox.
Simplistic dashboard and small steering wheel.

What I didn’t:
Underwhelming looks.

The competition:
Renault Megan, VW Golf, Opel Astra and Volvo V40

Pricing
308 Active R304 900
308 GT Line R357 900
308 GT Line Automatic R371 900
308 GT R399 900

Service and warranty
The new Peugeot 308 goes on sale through the Peugeot national dealer network at the end of March, and is supported by a comprehensive service and warranty offering that includes a 3yr/100 000km manufacturer warranty, 5 Year / 60 000km Maintenance Plan (Premium Plan) – Something Peugeot are really proud of and also communicating through their on-going sixreasonstobuy.co.za campaigns.

My choice
308 Active R304 900

www.peugeot.co.za