Undoubtedly the Peugeot 307 model has been a huge success world-wide, with over three million cars sold in only six years of production. The new 308 will build on the strengths of its predecessor, and will be initially available in a five door hatch with a mixture of petrol and diesel engines. The 308 makes a strong visual statement and will certainly make an impact in the small car segment in New Zealand. Like it’s predecessor the 307, Peugeot importer Sime Darby Automobiles will also launch a five door 308 SW wagon and a stunning 308 coupe cabriolet later this year. With a real sense of premium styling befitting larger and more expensive cars, a 5 star Euro NCAP safety rating, a beautifully finished cabin boasting a high quality interior, outstanding levels of standard equipment and competitive pricing, the new 308 is set to be an important part of Peugeot’s growth strategy for 2008. Peugeot says that the 308 will bring customers class leading interior space, visibility and brightness, and will become a reference point for the premium small car segment. With the arrival of the bigger and better 308, no longer will customers see downsizing from the large car segments as a compromise. Development From the outset of the cars development, Peugeot’s aim was to ensure the 308 featured all of the strong points upon which the success of the 307 was built, but also develop them even further. The experiences gained with the 307 and its architecture and the technological advances made by the Marque, have made it possible to pull off this challenge and, at the end of the day, meet very high quality targets. As a result, the 308 project was initially named "T7" which was built around the 307 platform and its architecture. It was on this basis that all design studies were carried out and that teams in the Styling, Engineering and Marketing departments worked together to create the 308. The 308 assembly lines at the Sochaux and Mulhouse sites in France have been designed and planned to ensure maximum build quality. For the panel and metalwork, each vehicle is checked by laser cameras to ensure the perfect geometrical accuracy determined for the car’s specification. During assembly, where 75 % of components are assembled by hand, special attention is paid to workstation ergonomics and personnel training to guarantee the best possible results. At every stage, quality inspections, particularly strict with regard to tolerance intervals, have been multiplied and made more stringent. In accordance with the quality improvements stipulated by the Group’s new management, Peugeot undertook an extended test mileage program as part of the T7 development program. 2,000,000 km or double the normal mileage program was completed before the launch of the car. The aim was to obtain as much feedback as possible with a view to improving or correcting the slightest detail to ensure the 308 meets the stringent quality objectives set for it. The vehicle’s operating costs and its residual value are important to customers when they buy their car and are responsible for customer satisfaction and loyalty. This is particularly true of fleet customers, who represent a not insignificant share of the compact saloon segment in New Zealand. Factors directly influencing these were considered throughout the development of the 308 which included: Optimisation of fuel consumption through engine technology and Michelin Energy Saver tyres (not yet available on NZ models) allows the 308 to minimise the main item of expenditure for any motorist. Exterior and Interior design The 308 embodies in its own way the characteristic Peugeot genes that give all of the Marque’s models their strong identity. The strongly contoured lines of the "nose" of the car serve as the focal point and create a dynamic and flowing "V" profile which follows back from the bonnet into the front windscreen pillars. The profile of the 308 creates a dynamic impression of movement, thanks to the elaborately styled panels and flowing design of the windows. The lines at the rear of the vehicle help to identify it. The large wrap around lower bumper and large rear lights emphasise the wider rear profile. To determine the interior style of the 308, the intention firstly was to highlight and exploit as far as possible the space made available by the semi-tall architecture. One objective was to give the interior a very prestigious feel, both in terms of the design and the materials used, by offering an unmistakable perception of quality. From the end of 2002, well before the launch of the "T7" project and even before the first exterior designs, the general idea for the fascia panel took shape among Peugeot’s designers, who were working on innovative "advanced" projects. There was a wish from the outset to make the fascia panel pure, elegant and dynamic, offering a particularly clear view of the exterior thanks to its steeply inclined profile, almost symmetrical with the front windscreen pillars. Engineers were therefore able to reflect, find and implement all of the technical solutions needed to create this interior architecture, without detracting in any way from the vehicle’s performance levels in terms of ergonomics, practicality or temperature regulation. The quality of the finish and a concern for the wellbeing of the occupants inside the car then became a true obsession among the stylists: The centre console was designed to be very compact, with large areas reserved for distinctive materials both in terms of appearance and touch. Each element is also particularly well integrated. The door panels with their tapering profile mirror the exterior of the vehicle. Chrome detailing enhances the overall effect: air vent surrounds and instrument panel dials, air conditioning and radio control buttons, door handles, etc. The exterior theme of the "V-shaped bonnet" is echoed subtly in certain interior details, such as the trim circling the gear lever, the design of the upper part of the seat cushions or indeed the shape of the front courtesy light. Engines The 308 will benefit from next generation EP petrol engines, a result of the joint PSA-BMW effort. These engines provide a genuine customer advantage: more powerful, with more torque at low speed and a more constant torque curve according to engine speed, these new engines provide more brio and optimise the pleasure/consumption compromise. 308 XS Manual / Auto The 88kW 1.6 litre VTi EP6 engine is an indirect injection naturally aspirated unit developing a maximum power of 88 kW at 6000 rpm and a maximum torque of 160 Nm at 4250 rpm. This torque is available very uniformly, since even at low engine speeds (2,000 rpm), it attains 140 Nm, or 88 % of its maximum capacity, thereby ensuring a wide operating range in urban and rural use. In addition to its variable timing system for the inlet and exhaust camshafts, a variable lift system on the inlet valves allows their maximum stroke to be adjusted gradually according to the position of the accelerator pedal. The use of these two VVT systems combined with the variable inlet valve lift system makes it possible, to improve the thermodynamic efficiency of the engine. This then significantly reduce the fuel consumption (particularly in partial load conditions), and therefore CO2 emissions, but also improves engine response and flexibility. This engine thus provides the 308 with good dynamic performance while reducing fuel consumption to only 6.7 litres per 100 km in the combined cycle with a manual gearbox (i.e. a gain of nearly 10 % compared to a 307 equipped with the old 1.6 litre 80 kW engine). 308 XSP Auto With a capacity of 1598 cm3, the EP6DT1.6 litre THP ("Turbo High Pressure") engine offers great operating flexibility thanks to its maximum torque of 240 Nm available from only 1400 rpm and ensures a remarkable drivability at low engine speeds. It produces a maximum power of 103 kW at 6000 rpm in the automatic gearbox version. Its innovative Twin-Scroll turbocharger combines exhaust gases in an optimal fashion to ensure maximum pressure with minimal lag, while its high-pressure direct petrol injection system improves combustion and the engine’s overall efficiency. 308 HDi Auto With a capacity of 1997 cm3, the "DW10B" common rail diesel engine develops a maximum power of 100 kW at 4000 rpm and a generous maximum torque of 320 Nm at 2000 rpm. This torque can even attain 340 Nm thanks to the "overboost" function activated during hard acceleration, making for example overtaking much safer. To obtain this outstanding performance, the engine is equipped with a variable geometry turbocharger, an electronically controlled high pressure pump (allowing a maximum pressure of 1650 bar in the common rail according to required load) and piezoelectric injectors with six apertures which send a fine spray of fuel into the combustion chamber (resulting in optimal injection both in terms of quantity and duration). Specifications / Price The New 308 will feature equipment that is new to the Small passenger market: Electrically operated driver seat with memory adjust (optional if leather) Luggage shelf with built in storage (from the XSP variants up) Fragrance diffusion system (available with leather) Laminated side windows (opt on Sport) Dot-matrix in the instrument unit Front parking aid (optional) 18" Alloy wheels (optional) Also new to the 308: Driver’s knee airbag (standard on NZ main models) Rear side airbags (optional) AFIL—Involuntary Lane Crossing Warning (optional on 308 Sport) A Bosch 8.1 Electronic Stability Program (ESP) is optional on XS models and standard on XSP, HDi, and 308 Sport variants: 308 XS Manual 5 Door $29,990 308 XS Auto 5 Door $32,990 308 XSP Auto 5 Door $37,990 308 HDi Auto 5 Door $42,990 308 Sport Manual 5 Door $46,490
Reduced CO2 emissions to meet future standards.
Reduced repair costs as a result of work carried out on the structure and body components also gives rise to moderate insurance costs.
Ongoing research at all levels of quality which will have a positive effect on the car’s durability, reliability and maintenance costs.
