Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the new Peugeot 308 Touring HDi with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.
There aren’t many small wagons left. Hyundai’s i30 Tourer, a fine car, shuffled off our shores in 2016, leaving in its wake a VW, a Renault and a Peugeot. Then the Renault went, leaving just two.
All four cars have something in common – they’re built in Europe – so it seems clear that a small load-lugger is a continental thing.
The new 308 has been with us for a while now and was a revelation on its release – gone was the fusty interior, dodgy styling and ordinary dynamics, replaced by a better looking car with an interesting interior and excellent chassis. The 308 Touring followed shortly after for those who like to lug a little more fromage et crudités than the average individuel.
We spent a week with the French wagon and pondered the obvious question – why choose it over the multitude of SUVs on offer?
Price and features
Late in 2016, Peugeot rationalised the 308 range, with most attention lavished (if you can lavish attention with an axe) on the five-door hatchback range. The Touring lost just one version, the petrol Allure Premium. So now you’ve got a choice between the Allure in petrol or diesel versions, both with 110kW engines.
The 308 Touring is very much a long 308 hatch. There’s nothing startling about the 308, just subdued good looks.
We had the pricier diesel version, aka BlueHDi, priced at $39,940. Parked on your drive will be a car with active cruise (part of the standard Driver Assist Pack), keyless entry and start, blind spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, auto parking (entry and exit), electric windows and mirrors, auto-headlights and wipers, LED headlights, sat nav, dual-zone climate control, leather and Alcantara trim and 17-inch alloys.