Peugeot get it right, AGAIN, with stunning new 308 SW

• Style with substance – the New 308 SW has the capability to enhance expectations
• New Euro 6 engines place the SW’s performance at the leading-edge of the segment
• The PEUGEOT brand continues its upmarket strategy

As the New 308 hatchback goes on sale in the UK, PEUGEOT expands its medium-car range with a new silhouette. Like the hatchback, the new Peugeot 308 SW has been completely redesigned, bringing with it class-leading levels of competitiveness.

PEUGEOT designers have styled a capacious and dynamic estate car with an attractive stance that is sleek and sporty (length 4.58m and height 1.47m). Its generous dimensions comfortably exceed the expectations and requirements of customers in this sector, providing ample volume, roominess, versatility and practicality.

With a volume of 610dm3 (VDA 210 standard), the boot capacity of the new PEUGEOT 308 SW is class-leading for the segment. With stylish and clean lines, it provides a very practical and clutter-free purpose-designed space. Its modularity is achieved with unparalleled simplicity (seats are folded with a single action from inside the boot) and effectiveness (perfectly flat floor). Its quality finish is worthy of the next category up.

Like the hatchback, the New Peugeot 308 SW benefits from utilising the ‘Efficient Modular Platform’ (EMP2), optimising weight-savings and providing enhanced dynamic efficiency. In total, the new PEUGEOT 308 SW is 140kg lighter than its predecessor and this greatly enhances the overall driving experience and places it strongly against other competitor estate cars.

Available at launch, the Euro 6 petrol and diesel engines guarantee outstanding performance. A new BlueHDi version emits just 85g/km of CO2, setting a new benchmark in the segment.

Inside, the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit is modern, sleek and innovative, providing its driver and passengers with a clean and clear interior environment with new driving sensations.

Built with high quality materials and to exacting build standards the new PEUGEOT 308 SW features a high level of attention-to-detail, with the specific aim of placing the car among the best, confirming the Marque’s movement upmarket.

Produced in Sochaux, France, the New PEUGEOT 308 SW will be equipped with powertrain units from the Trémery and Douvrin sites.

The New PEUGEOT 308 SW has its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2014, and will go on sale across Europe in the Spring.

Peugeot's great white hope on sale now, the new 308.

• All-new Compact Family Hatchback has style, quality, efficiency and outstanding dynamics
• Striking and contemporary design inside and out
• On sale from 2nd January 2014
• Shortlisted for European Car of the Year 2014

The wait is over. The critically acclaimed New 308 from Peugeot is officially on sale now.

The stunning new vehicle – already shortlisted for the prestigious European Car of the Year 2014 award – signals the start of a new era for Peugeot. It will see even greater focus on design-led desirable cars, outstanding environmental performance and best-in-class driving dynamics.

Underlying everything is a determination to bring a new level of quality to the Peugeot ownership experience, including exceptional customer service from Dealers.

Tim Zimmerman, Managing Director of Peugeot UK, commented: “This is a genuinely exciting time to be leading Peugeot.  Last year was a huge success for our business, and the arrival of the New 308 – plus a number of other great cars – ensures 2014 will build on that solid foundation.”

The New 308 is a Peugeot like no other and at its heart is the innovative Efficient Modular Platform 2 (EMP2). The car is the first new Peugeot to benefit from this advanced architecture, which has incorporated 116 patented technologies.

It has allowed the New 308 to be lighter than ever, up to 140kg compared to the predecessor model. Coupled with eight advanced engines, the result is segment-leading environmental performance. Depending on the model selected, fuel economy can be as high as 91.1mpg with CO2 emissions as low as 82g/km. The New 308 is also an exceptional car to drive thanks to its advanced steering and damping technology.

One of the features which makes the New 308 so desirable is its premium ‘i-Cockpit’ interior.  Driver-focused like nothing else in the segment, and with a notably uncluttered dashboard, it offers one of the most technically advanced touch-screen infotainment systems on any new car. With a large 9.7-inch screen size, this intuitive interface allows the user to control everything from the climate control to the audio system.

The car is also exceptionally practical. The 420-litre boot space with the rear seats upright is the largest in the segment, and supplemented by generous-sized cup holders and storage spaces located around the cabin.

Running costs, particularly for corporate customers, are a key consideration when choosing a car. The good news is that the New Peugeot 308 scores just as highly there as it does everywhere else. The fuel-efficient range of engines means less time spent filling up on forecourts, while the CO2 classifications means low VED road tax bandings.

Furthermore, with a residual value from CAP that’s up 9% compared to the outgoing model, the New 308’s predicted resale value is ahead of several key rivals and the segment average.

Peugeot M.D. Tim Zimmerman continued: “The New 308 is a significant leap forward for Peugeot. It’s high on style and quality and provides a truly rewarding driving experience, all at a value-for-money price. We’re confident it will be a big hit with UK customers.”

The New 308 is available in four trim levels, Access (from £14,495), Active (from £17,195), Allure (from £18,645) and Feline (from £20,995).

New 308 Chassis gives raft of improvements for future Peugeot products

• The New 308 is a dynamic tour-de-force, made possible by its outstanding ‘EMP 2’ chassis
• Design strength makes it possible to be much lighter, thus more efficient
• Production techniques and build-quality enable size optimisation and future design adaptability

View the New Peugeot 308 from any angle, inside or out, and its pure and contemporary styling is impossible to avoid. But almost every aspect of the hatchback’s audacious design – as well as its compact dimensions, class-leading environmental credentials, innovative PEUGEOT i-Cockpit cabin layout and dynamic drive – can be traced back to one thing.

That vital component is the chassis on which the New 308 is built, the utilisation of its innovative ‘Efficient Modular Platform 2’ (EMP2). It’s the first new Peugeot to benefit from this advanced architecture, a number of designs of which were part of a staggering 116 patented technologies, as were the composite tailgate and rear-floor section panel.

The impact of the EMP2 is most obvious on the overall dimensions of the New Peugeot 308. At 4.25 metres from bumper to bumper, it’s 3cm shorter than the outgoing model. Yet the front overhang has been reduced by a massive 6.3cm, creating a ‘wheel in each corner’ profile and more usable space for front seat occupants and their luggage.

At 420 litres with the rear seats up, the boot of the New 308 is the largest in the segment. In addition, the maximum and minimum adjustability of the driver’s seat has been increased, yet space for rear passengers has been maintained at previous levels. Far from being an impossible magic trick, it’s all due to the innovative EMP2 chassis.

The platform has also been engineered so the New 308 can be a lower and wider vehicle than ever before. The car’s roofline is 40mm closer to the ground than on the predecessor model, and with an increase in track width the centre of gravity is 2mm lower.

The EMP2 chassis has been designed to better accommodate many of the car’s bolt-on components. For example, the right-hand drive pedal box is now a perfect replica of the left-hand drive layout. That’s because the air-conditioning unit behind the dashboard has been repositioned to a more central location when compared with the previous generation car. Such an improvement has only been possible because of the attention to detail which has gone into creating the EMP2 architecture.

One of the features which make the New 308 so desirable is its striking and contemporary PEUGEOT i-Cockpit premium interior. Driver-focused like nothing else in the segment, it offers one of the most technically advanced touch-screen infotainment systems on any new car. The EMP2 platform provides the underpinnings on which everything else is built.

For the future owner of the New 308, the benefits of the EMP2 chassis are obvious. Due to advanced materials and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes – including flexible rolling, hot stamping and laser welding – the car is on average 140kg lighter than the outgoing model.

Coupled with advanced engines and powertrains, the result is segment-leading environmental performance. Depending on the model selected, fuel economy is as high as 91.1mpg with CO2 emissions as low as 82g/km.

The New Peugeot 308 is also an exceptional car to drive, a superbly comfortable place to spend time, and is packed with sophisticated safety and convenience technology. And it’s all because of Peugeot’s EMP2 chassis underpinning the strength of the car.

Needless to say, there is no doubt it will become the foundation for numerous future Peugeot models, each able to offer exceptional eco-motoring, premium features, a sophisticated interior and outstanding handling.