Peugeot does not build many cars like the Peugeot 308: a 3-door hatchback / 5-door hatchback / 5-door station wagon/estate / 2-door coupé cabriolet / 4-door sedan with Petrol engine, built from 2007 in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Its designer of record is Stéphan Peureux.
Where it came from
The Peugeot 308 is a small family car (C-segment) produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot. It was unveiled in June 2007, and launched in September 2007 in hatchback form, which was followed by station wagon (the 308 SW) in March 2008, coupé cabriolet (the 308 CC) in February 2009, and a saloon/sedan version (the 408) in February 2010. The 308 replaced the 307, and is positioned below the 508 and above the 208.
The first generation was largely based on its predecessor, the 307, and utilized modified versions of that car's drivetrain and chassis. The second-generation model was unveiled in 2013, and it was awarded as the 2014 European Car of the Year. The third-generation model was unveiled in 2021 and introduced a hybrid powertrain.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits Petrol engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 1312 kg. The gearbox is a 5/6-speed manual / 4-speed ZF 4HP automatic / 6-speed Aisin AWTF-80 SC automatic / 6-speed Auto6R. The wheelbase is 2608 mm / 2708 mm (SW) / 2605 mm (CC). These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Peugeot's history is not in doubt: the Peugeot 307 came before it; it was built at Mulhouse. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Nissan GT-R, the Hyundai i30, the Volkswagen Tiguan. Nearby in the Peugeot catalogue sit the Peugeot Onyx and the Peugeot Pars.