Peugeot's E-308 aims to raise the benchmark for what a family EV can offer. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

Conventional family hatchbacks that are also full-EVs are thin on the ground, but Peugeot's E-308 hopes to set a trend for them. It comes in hatch and estate forms and aims to establish some fresh standards for the kind of car a family EV should be.

Background

Something we haven't seen much in the current explosion of full-electric compact cars are EV versions of conventional family hatchbacks. True, if you're looking at either a Volkswagen ID.3 or a Kia Niro EV, that's essentially what you've got, but both those manufacturers pretend those cars are Crossovers. Here is something much more straightforward, the Peugeot E-308. In terms of conventional EV family hatches, you could argue that it's the first one we've seen since the Volkswagen e-Golf was discontinued in 2019. Unlike that car, there's more than one body style, an SW estate offered as well as a 5-door hatch. And developed alongside this model with exactly the same 54kWh battery and powertrain are full-electric versions of its close Stellantis Group cousin, the Vauxhall Astra. This 308 was the first of the two cars to market and joins the existing 308 Hybrid Plug-in model for those wanting to make a more eco-minded choice in this segment.

Driving Experience

Peugeot's latest 54kWh battery is being rolled out across its EVs at present and of course features here. It incorporates a more sophisticated chemical composition which makes possible a Volkswagen ID.3-rivalling 257 mile range figure. This battery powers a front axle-mounted 156bhp motor which will get you to 62mph from rest in about 10 seconds. That's provided you engage most focused of the three available drive modes - 'Sport'; the others are 'Normal' and 'Eco'. Thanks to Peugeot's usual (but unusual) 'i-Cockpit' driving position, which sees a dinky little steering wheel that's ideal for wrist-flick manoeuvres. As usual in an EV, its central lower down positioning minimises the downside by lowering the centre of gravity. There are no steering wheel paddles to alter brake regeneration. But Peugeot does provide a selectable 'Brake' option on the transmission interface which ups energy harvesting to the point where a lot of retardation can be handled by the brake regen system, rather than by the foot pedal. Ride quality is better than it is on most other compact EVs of this size (and far softer than in the equivalent rather over-firm Vauxhall Astra Electric); you certainly won't be clumping over speed humps and crashing through pot holes in the way we have with some recent small EVs we've tested. And Peugeot's kept wind noise and tyre roar at reasonable levels, so you can get the refinement benefit of that near-silent powertrain. On the top 'GT' model, there's a bit of (rather basic) drive assist technology too, courtesy of an 'Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go' (which automatically maintains your speed to vehicles in front on the highway and when you come across a tailback, will seamlessly bring you to a stop, then when appropriate, automatically start you off again).

Design and Build

The 308 was the first Stellantis Group model to be offered with combustion, Plug-in Hybrid or pure electric power. Either way, beyond different badgework, visual differentiations designating the various powertrains used are few. So, as an EV customer, you'll need to look elsewhere if you want to make more of an eco-statement to the neighbours. Unless you think that this third generation 308's sharky styling already makes enough of a statement, eye-catching in both hatch and SW estate body styles. There are slim LED headlights complemented by Peugeot's fang-like LED daytime running lights. At the rear, there are tail lights with three 'claw' style lighting elements.  And inside? Well if you thought the exterior was interesting, take a look in the cabin, virtually unaltered for this E-308. Peugeot's usual i-Cockpit layout with its small steering wheel sits beneath a digital instrument panel, with clever 3D image tech borrowed from the brand's smaller 208 supermini. The tall, sloping dashboard features a sharp-looking 10-inch touchscreen display which has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity and offers widescreen navigation from TomTom. Beneath this monitor is a row of freely configurable touch-sensitive controls, called 'i-Toggles'. Each one offers a shortcut to a major function, such as radio, climate control or 'phone. Out back, despite the relatively lengthy wheelbase, the rear cabin feels a little cramped by class standards. And (as with the Plug-in Hybrid 308) boot space is compromised by the battery installation, for the hatch rated at 361-litres (down from the usual 412-litres). If you want more, you'll need the alternative SW estate, which offers 548-litres.

Market and Model

Expect an asking price from around £40,000 for this E-308 in hatch form and you won't be too far out: there's a premium of around £1,200 more for the SW estate version. In other words, just a bit more than you'd pay for the Plug-in Hybrid variant. Expect the usual 'Allure' and 'GT' trim levels. As you'd hope for the sums being asked, even base 'Allure'-spec is well equipped, including tinted rear windows, 18-inch 'Ottawa' alloy wheels and a chrome grille with a high-gloss black rear panel with chrome trim. Inside, 'Allure' models offer heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. 'Allure' variants also feature a reversing camera, 3D Connected Navigation and natural voice recognition. The E-308 also comes as standard with the latest safety and driver assistance technology, including autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. 'GT' models add Full Matrix LED Technology headlights with 3D LED tail lights, a GT-specific grille pattern, widened side sills for a more aggressive stance and the PEUGEOT shield on the front wings. Inside, 'GT' models benefit from Alcantara seats with adamite coloured stitching, embossed aluminium trim on the dashboard and door panels, eight-colour ambient lighting and aluminium door sills and pedals. 'GT' models also add front parking sensors and a 3D digital instrument cluster.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the 257 mile range figure in our 'Driving' section: to get near to that, you'll have to make frequent use of the provided 'Eco' mode and the 'Brake' button, which will increase the aggressiveness of the brake regeneration system, so recovering more energy back to the 54kWh battery (51kWh of which is usable). That battery features a new chemical composition comprising 80% nickel, 10% manganese and 10% cobalt, all of which improves efficiency. But none of it's enough to get this Peugeot anywhere near benchmark levels of driving range in this segment. The class leader, Hyundai's Kona Electric, manages 319 miles between charges. We've been getting around 4.4mpkWh on this test, which translates into a real-world range of about 225 miles. The E-308 can charge at up to 100kW (that's about the same as a Hyundai Kona Electric, but to give you some class perspective, an ID.3 charges at up to 120kW). Charging at 100kW at a DC public rapid charger, the brand claims a battery replenishment rate from 20 to 80% in 28 minutes. An onboard three-phase 11 kW charger is included as standard and if you're able to charge at 11kW at home, you'll replenish the battery completely in 5 hours 45 minutes. The 7.4kw wallbox you're more likely to have needs eight hours to do the same thing. Via the 'MyPeugeot' smartphone app or by using the vehicle's touchscreen, owners can schedule a wake-up time for the battery. This means that the cells can be at the optimal temperature for efficiency from the time you start up, plus of course the interior can also be pre-cooled or pre-heated too. Owners can opt to purchase a single service plan to cover all essential maintenance. Service intervals are every year or 20,000 miles. And with the E-308 EV, you'll be given a certificate of battery capacity after each service; the 54kWh battery comes with an eight year / 100,000 warranty for 70% of its capacity.

Summary

Peugeot calls the E-308 'a benchmark car in its segment'. It isn't, but we could see why you might want one, even though this model has been rather over-ambitiously priced. For the extra premium you'll be paying over obvious segment rivals, you'll be getting a family hatch EV that handles better than most of them, rides better than nearly all of them - and arguably looks better too. Whether you ultimately choose an E-308 will have a lot to do with those looks - and whether you like its unusual 'i-Cockpit' driving position. But if you do, then there's certainly nothing else in the segment quite like it. We're perhaps most tempted by the SW version, which was the first European-built EV estate in its class, a model which manages to combine a bit of style with the sensibility you want from an EV and the practicality you'll need from a station wagon. Whatever body style you ultimately prefer, this is the kind of family hatch-sector EV model we're all going to have to get used to in the coming years. And on this evidence, the transition to that new era might be just that bit easier than expected.