… Peugeot 308 GTi 270 …
Over the past 30 years, Peugeot’s attempts to attract the ‘yoof’ market haven’t always met with universal approval, but more recently the firm has been turning out some really tasty and tempting motors and this latest 308 GTi certainly tickles the tootsies.
To give it it’s proper Peugeot title, the ‘308 GTi by PEUGEOT SPORT’, comes in two power options. The ‘base’ model has a 250hp version of its 1.6-litre THP engine while its bolder brother gets 270hp and a Torsen® differential. It also gets 19 inch (as opposed to 18 inch) wheels and bucket seats and it comes with a satisfyingly pleasing set of road manners – for a hot hatch that is.
More importantly for a hot hatch, it’s also pretty quick. It’s put on a bit of weight since the first Peugeot 205 way back in 1984, but it has nearly three times as much power, that’s 270 hp compared to 104. Both have 1.6 litre engines, but this latest generation gets a bit of additional turbocharged oomph to propel it along the highways and byways.
As I found out on the way to a Junior rally test day at Kames. The Stonehouse to Muirkirk road offers up a variety of surfaces, adverse cambers, open fast and tight slow corners and a few short straights to get out and past vans towing rally car. There are also some broken bits of tarmac and severe undulations in the road surface which merely confirmed that I don’t like 19 inch rims with a sliver of rubber wrapped around them.
For sure, the Michelin Pilot Super Sports provided huge amounts of grip but the 235/35 section doesn’t do much for the old spine no matter how comfortable the seats are and how good the suspension is. On that point, the suspension is a little softer and more forgiving than other hot-hatches so it could quite easily and comfortable serve as an everyday driver as opposed to a weekend track car. The only time it loses out is when the ruts and potholes are pretty bad, but that’s the price you pay these days for street cred and big wheels.
It’s not as searingly quick as some other hot hatches either which makes me think it will appeal as much to the older hot hatch driver who just wants rapid progress as it will to the tearaway tarmac ripper. The car is strongest in mid range power rather than outright acceleration which makes it such a treat to drive on winding roads. It sits 11mm lower than the ‘standard’ roomy four seater, hence the firmer suspension but it still handles well and goes quickly.
If there is a gripe, it’s the lack of buttons on the dash. What Peugeot has done is transfer most of the in-car controls to a central large touchscreen, and I don’t like it. I much prefer the solid tactile feel of a button or dial. Which brings me back to the suspension. If you are on a less than smooth road and trying to adjust the heating or radio stations, you can easily end up with frozen buttocks and some overfed foreign opera singer giving it laldy through the speakers because you’ve stabbed the wrong option. It’s difficult to be precise when you’ve got big fingers, sensitive touchscreens and a bumpy road.
Peugeot also makes a big play of their relatively small diameter leather rimmed steering wheel which on first acquaintance feels really nice. But on longer runs it was noticeable that my shoulders were angled ever so slightly inwards. Whether I would get used to it or not over time, I don’t know, but at 351mm in diameter it is some 20mm less than a typical ‘standard’ wheel. I know that doesn’t sound a lot, but in my case it made a difference.
The other thing that confused me to begin with was the reverse direction rev counter. The speedometer needle flicks clockwise round the dial, but the rev counter spins anti-clockwise. With both needles in the 12 o’clock position the car is doing 60 mph at 4000 rpm. After that they start to point at each other. It’s disconcerting but I reckon I could put up with it. On the other hand it’s nice to see a manufacturer trying something different these days when individuality is being lost in the pursuit of conformity and the need to comply with ever more restrictive Euro regulations.
There is one thing I really did like, and that was the ‘Sport’ button. Giving it a prod sharpens up the throttle pedal feel and engine response. It also changes the white dial illumination to red and adds a small gauge between the two main dials which displays Power, Torque and Boost, or shows lateral and longitudinal acceleration.
There’s a lot to like about the new ‘308 GTi by PEUGEOT SPORT’, from its chunky good looks and well-filled arches to the re-styled front end and twin tail-pipes. Inside it’s equally attractive with the sports seats offering good support without being too neat to fit the more bulky Scottish diet enriched frame.
Yup, I liked it, and would happily have one even with that touch sensitive screen. Mind you, I’m not so sure about the two-tone paint job!