A sharp, 100% electric estate car

When it comes to the Peugeot 308, are you Team Saloon or Team Estate? It doesn’t actually matter, as the 308 is available in two distinct body styles and with a wide range of engines to choose from: petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric. Want to hear more? It’s also available in six colours, with five rim types and five upholstery options to choose from. For the purposes of this test drive, though, it’s the all-electric version in GT trim that we’re interested in.

A 100% electric estate car? For the time being, there is very little competition, which just goes to show how special this niche is. As is the case with SUVs, it has to be said that the air penetration coefficient (Cx) is much better here. After all, the more slender the vehicle, the better the Cx. In practical terms, this optimises airflow and therefore consumption, and in this case we have a Cx of 0.277.

Although the e-308 SW weighs in at over 1,800kg with yours truly on board, you never feel the weight of the vehicle, except when taking tight bends at speeds that are perfectly acceptable but that the average punter should probably best avoid where possible. In such cases, as soon as you start to hear the sound of tyres squealing, you release the accelerator and the understeer disappears instantly. The chassis, like the shock absorption, is excellent, and what is left to say about the way a Peugeot feels on the road? It’s a real delight, not to mention the fact that it’s particularly quiet, even on the motorway.

The engine, meanwhile, develops 156hp for a top speed of 170km/h, with a 54kWh battery that theoretically gives it a range of over 400km on a single charge. In actual fact, we travelled 76km and used 120km of our range. This difference would have been smaller, but remember that we were there to test drive the vehicle. The average driver would no doubt adopt a more leisurely driving style, which is, of course, the idea when driving an all-electric vehicle. The 8-speed electrified gearbox is smooth, and you have the option of optimising energy recovery using the ‘B’ button next to the gear selector. The location of the latter isn’t ideal, as you often have to take your eyes off the road to find it as it’s so small. Nevertheless, it works very well, as do the different driving modes available, offering different acceleration and suspension settings.

The built-in 11kWh 3-phase charger means that, in the best-case scenario, you can recover 80% of your range in just 27 minutes. The cable supplied with the vehicle as standard is a 22kW three-phase mode 3.

A premium interior

From the moment you get inside the 308’s passenger compartment, the presentation is impeccable: it’s well put together and it’s not lacking in quality. The seats, in this case in the Comfort trim, are perfectly supportive and you can even stretch the seat out a little, which is ideal for long journeys.

The knee and head room in the back, meanwhile, is nothing more than sufficient without changing the driving position. The central armrest also features a double cup holder.

The special feature of this version is, of course, its huge boot, which offers a minimum load volume of 548 litres.

While the saloon is available in three trim levels, the SW version is only available in two: the Allure and the GT.

With the Allure trim and above, you get the i-cockpit (a small steering wheel and 3D digital instrumentation) with a 10” screen, tinted rear windows, front sensors and a reversing camera. Other standard features include 18” wheels, heated seats and steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, two front USB-C sockets and three driving modes.

The ADAS (advanced driving assistance systems) are very comprehensive and notably include automatic emergency braking that detects pedestrians, even at night.

The Peugeot e-308 in Allure trim is priced at €42,709 and the GT version at €44,770.
Last but not least, servicing is required every two years or every 25,000km.

By Julien Di Luigi