The new range Peugeot 308 it has its priorities very well defined. Faced with the growing onslaught of SUVs, the third generation of the Peugeot 308 bets more than ever on design, technology and a wide range of engines to continue to captivate consumers. Sensations that were very evident in our first test of the Peugeot 308 hatchback.
But our visit to Peugeot's facilities in Mulhouse, France, had another surprise in store for us. We tested the final prototypes — still camouflaged — of the Peugeot 308 SW before its official unveiling.
We had at our disposal three units, with different specifications. Due to the camouflage, we only saw its final shapes at the end of the day (which were revealed in the meantime and can be reviewed here), but before that, we had already covered the roads around Mulhouse to discover all the news of this new French van.
The first kilometers on the Peugeot 308 SW 2022
The first version of the Peugeot 308 SW 2022 that we tested was the most powerful in the range. It was the GT version with 225 hp of power, the result of the alliance between the 1.6 Puretech engine with 180 hp and an electric motor of 81 kW (110 hp).
It is the first time that the Peugeot 308 SW receives an electrified version and it does it in the best way. Thanks to the marriage of these engines with a 12.4 kWh battery, the brand advertises for the most powerful Peugeot 308 SW ever up to 60 km in 100% electric mode (WLTP cycle). In this first contact, it was not possible to accurately gauge the consumptions, but the actual values should not be too far from the advertised ones.
Regarding performance, the 225 hp of power is very good for itself. We always have plenty of power available, even when only the electric motor is running. Without the help of the combustion engine, it is able to keep up with us up to 120 km/h without wasting a drop of fuel.
But it's when the two engines work together that we really feel what the French van is capable of. The 225 hp pushes the whole set very easily beyond legal limits. Maybe even too easy, as the good soundproofing and comfort of the suspension help to disguise the speed. Only the e-EAT8 automatic transmission sometimes finds it difficult to keep up with the momentum of these two engines, occasionally revealing some indecision when we “press” the pace further.
The previous generation of the 308 SW was already known for its dynamic rightness and comfort, but this new generation goes up two levels in that respect. It's not just the suspension that works best on all types of floors, it's also the soundproofing and solidity shown by all the materials that impresses.
The last kilometers of our test were made at the wheel of the version 1.2 Puretech 130 hp — probably the version that will be most in demand in the national market. Although this new generation is bigger than its predecessor, our fears regarding the power of this engine proved to be unfounded.
Even with this 1.2 Puretech 130 hp engine the Peugeot 308 SW reveals «muscle» for most situations. As is tradition in this engine of the French brand, the response from the lowest regimes is full — which is very important in town — and in the intermediate regimes, it shows enough resourcefulness for larger trips. As for soundproofing, once again, the Peugeot 308 SW has shown to have evolved in the best sense, even with this three-cylinder engine — which tends to be noisier.
With regard to the dynamic component, we have to be categorical: the Peugeot 308 SW is among the best in the segment. Despite not having adaptive suspensions, the success found by the French engineers manages to combine good rolling comfort with a dynamic capacity capable of exhilarating. As a matter of fact, the fault is not just the new arrangement of the suspensions. The EMP2 platform — on which the new generation 308 continues to rest — is wider as well as lower, giving the driver a sense of connectedness to the road better than the previous generation.
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The new Peugeot 308 SW on the outside
After driving the Peugeot 308 SW camouflaged units, it's finally time to get to know the final shapes of its bodywork. Peugeot has transformed one of its warehouses into the place for the model's presentation, in order to avoid displacements and possible leaks of images before their time.
It worked. It was one of the few times we witnessed the revelation of a model without knowing its shapes in advance — image leakage is increasingly common. Maybe that's why the surprise was even greater. As soon as the curtain fell, praise for the forms of the 308 SW followed among the dozens of international journalists who were present.
We are well aware that style is always something very subjective, but the shapes of the Peugeot 308 SW seem to have pleased everyone present. Agnès Tesson-Faget, product manager for the 308 range, put forward a reason for this: “the Peugeot 308 SW was developed from scratch as if it were an entirely new model”.
The designers of the French brand set out to design the Peugeot 308 SW with a “white” sheet. According to Agnès Tesson-Faget, this gave “freedom to the design department to create a more harmonious rear. It's not a model derived from the 308 hatchback, but a van with its own identity.”
Inside, we find exactly the same solutions as the rest of the 308 range. The latest generation i-Cockpit 3D system, the new infotainment system with i-toggles (shortcut keys) and a care with materials and assembly that makes brands jealous premium. The big difference comes in the luggage capacity, which now offers a very generous 608 liters of capacity, extendable to 1634 liters with the rear seat fully folded down.
The Peugeot 308 SW range
Scheduled for arrival on the market in early 2022, the Peugeot 308 SW shares the range of engines with the hatchback. Thus, the offer comprises gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrid engines.
The plug-in hybrid offer uses the 1.6 PureTech gasoline engine — 150 hp or 180 hp — which is associated with an always 81 kW (110 hp) electric motor. In total there are two versions, both of which use the same 12.4 kWh battery:
- Hybrid 180 e-EAT8 — 180 hp of maximum combined power, up to 60 km of range and 25 g/km CO2 emissions;
- Hybrid 225 e-EAT8 — 225 hp of maximum combined power, up to 59 km of range and 26 g/km CO2 emissions.
The combustion-only offer is based on our well-known BlueHDI and PureTech engines:
- 1.2 PureTech — 110 hp, six-speed manual transmission;
- 1.2 PureTech — 130 hp, six-speed manual transmission;
- 1.2 PureTech — 130 hp, eight-speed automatic (EAT8);
- 1.5 BlueHDI — 130 hp, six-speed manual transmission;
- 1.5 BlueHDI — 130 hp, eight-speed automatic (EAT8) transmission.