| A Week at the Wheel | Cambs, England | Peugeot 308 GT |

Inside & Out:

Much debate surrounds the new Peugeot 308's looks. Its heavily sculpted front end polarises opinion like Marmite and whereas from some angles it can look purposeful, from others it looks heavy handed. Less debatable are the handsome flanks and profile that do, with some imagination, hark back to the prettier hatches of the '80s and '90s.

Inside, things couldn't be much more different when compared to those times. Hard, sharp edged and bland plastics have been supplanted by a range of textures, shapes and materials that raise Peugeot's game to never before reached heights. The full length glass roof is a favourite of ours and bathes the interior in light, while a one-shot switch electrically covers it when the sun becomes too much.

Engine & Transmission:

Of all the mainstream manufacturers in the A and B market sectors it is the French whom perhaps reflect the needs of modern motoring most. Emissions and economy requirements have driven the development of a range of common rail diesels and latterly more boosted engines like the 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged powerplant under the bonnet of the 308 GT. The theory is that you can have the performance of a 2.0-litre engine on tap when you need it but with 1.6-litre economy when you don't. In practice the GT's 175bhp engine works well and does indeed feel like a bigger unit, thanks in no small part to the 190lb.ft on offer at only 1,500rpm.

However, as a driver's car there are some compromises. Excursions to higher crank speeds reveal a somewhat thrashy nature and reflect the engine's preference for operating in the mid-range. This aside, its more relaxed nature suits the GT moniker well and the objective of improved economy is reflected in an average of 35mpg in mixed driving; a commendable result for a car of this type in our experience.

Ride & Handling:

Of all the jobs in the car industry, one of the least enviable must be that of the chassis engineering team at Peugeot. No matter what you wheel out, the numbers 205 or 306 and the letters GTi are going to be brought up. It's important to note that this car does not bear the GTi moniker (we must wait for such a model) and should therefore not be judged as such. This car's character is aligned with a bias on that GT nature: supple and compliant for cruising, rather than outright grip and flat cornering extremis and adjustability.

Judged on this basis it does a fine job. There is perhaps more noise than one may expect from tyres and suspension and also perhaps too much transmission of road surface quality through the controls and body. Communication can be a bad thing in instances such as this, though the steering is nicely weighted, albeit through a surprisingly large steering wheel that lacks the 'holdability' of those found in a Golf or Focus.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

In isolation the 308 GT's spec sheet appears to represent a significant package for the outlay. However, relative to key rivals value for money is harder to judge, as the GT's pricing of around £20k puts it in the mix with some very talented cars, notably the Ford Focus ST, a hot hatch with a GT bias, and two Golfs, the GT Twincharger and the hallowed GTI. The 308 scores well on equipment levels but doesn't offer the same performance one may expect at this price.

Overall:

The GT type hatch is a relatively new niche and one that finds the 308 reaching out of its comfort zone a little. Where the 308 makes sense as a family car, the more sporting pretensions of the GT fall into something of a no man's land. Perhaps the Golf GT represents the most natural comparison in terms of price and performance and in that contest the 308 GT doesn't fall too far short, but fall short it does. As an appetiser of what lies ahead the 308 GT does offer glimmers of potential in terms of driver satisfaction. We hope Peugeot doesn't wait too long to feed the throngs of expectant drivers.