Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Peugeot 308 more price friendly

By Ross Kiddie
Hamilton News·
2 Feb, 2012 10:51 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Competitive pricing in New Zealand has always been a battle for the European car manufacturers and importers.

Sime Darby, the Peugeot distributors here, have just made a major price adjustment across their line-up. Put simply, the prices are far more buyer-friendly, while the level of specification hasn't been sacrificed significantly.

And on top of that there's a facelifted 308 now on showroom floors. The changes aren't dramatic, but there's a shorter nose, different air inlets, and new bumpers front and rear. The changes combine to produce a sleeker, sharper shape, and with bold 17in wheels the 308 imparts a dynamic, sporty look.

The 308 range now starts here at $29,990 and ends at $45,990 for the 2-litre turbocharged diesel in both hatchback and wagon form. The car this evaluation focuses on is the $41,990, 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol model. The entry-level car has the same engine sans turbocharger, but the boosted version with its 115kW and 240Nm engine adds around 27kW and 80Nm to the standard unit.

Because of its turbocharged boost it has strong mid-range urge and flexibility. Peugeot have fitted the 308 with a six-speed automatic transmission, they are quick to point out the transmission's links to Porsche and the sequential shifting system is a particularly nice unit with quick and smooth shifts.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The engine bursts from gear to gear and pulls solidly. You can feel the surge of the turbocharger and if you listen carefully you can capture the sound of the exhaust expiring out the turbocharger wastegate as the revs drop between gear changes. The latter is rather enticing and promotes enthusiastic motoring when conditions allow.

Against the stopwatch the turbo petrol 308 will accelerate from a standstill to 100km/h in 9sec and it will make 120km/h from 80km/h in 5.5sec. These are credible performance figures and combine with healthy fuel usage figures.

Peugeot claim a 6.7-litre per 100km (42mpg) combined consumption. That's a bold claim but I wouldn't dispute it, for my time with the test car averaged consistently at around 8l/100km (35mpg) with a 6.2l/100km (46mpg) readout sitting at the 100km/h legal limit. The engine is quite relaxed at that speed turning over at just 2300rpm in sixth gear.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At highway speed the 308 cruises confidently and quietly, there's barely any noise off the tyres and wind gushes are kept to a minimum. It rides with supple suspension control; Christchurch's roads are the perfect testing ground for any suspension following the never-ending series of earthquakes. Every time I take my daughter to her friend's place at Sumner I can't help but think how badly affected the roads are from Ferry Rd east. Yet, the 308 supports occupant comfort, the suspension absorbs the worst of the ruts and bumps while utilising the spring and damper rates required for purposeful handling.

I particularly like the steering feel, the movement off-centre is strong and delivers positive information as to what the tyres (225/45) are doing in a corner while directional accuracy is constantly maintained.

Sime Darby have done a lot of homework in setting up their models for 2012. Their aim is to sell over 1000 units this year and it's fine cars like the 308 that will help them reach that goal.

As much as I enjoyed the 308's spirited turbocharged engine and fabulous underpinnings, it won't rate with me as the perfect car. My daughter complained on more than one occasion of banging her head on the roof line as she was getting in and out; she is tall, but the streamlined shape means there is quite a bit of bending needed on her behalf. Also, on a similar note, the sharp corner on the upper door frame accounted for a large bruise on my chest when the wind blew the door shut as I was getting out.

Nevertheless, you would quickly become used to its idiosyncrasies, and with the lower prices the 308 has become just that little bit more desirable.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

New partnership boosts South Waikato businesses

10 Jun 01:00 AM
Waikato Herald

Fieldays 2025 attracts strong international interest

09 Jun 11:30 PM
Waikato HeraldUpdated

Man admits New Year's Day murder of baby, violent attack on two others

09 Jun 11:26 PM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

New partnership boosts South Waikato businesses
Waikato Herald

New partnership boosts South Waikato businesses

10 Jun 01:00 AM

The Chamber of Commerce helps to 'break down barriers' for local businesses: CEO.

Fieldays 2025 attracts strong international interest
Waikato Herald

Fieldays 2025 attracts strong international interest

09 Jun 11:30 PM
Man admits New Year's Day murder of baby, violent attack on two others
Waikato HeraldUpdated

Man admits New Year's Day murder of baby, violent attack on two others

09 Jun 11:26 PM
Taupō businessman to face trial on rape, bribery charges
Waikato Herald

Taupō businessman to face trial on rape, bribery charges

09 Jun 11:00 PM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP