What's the news?
Prices and specification for the Peugeot 308 has been announced with the new Volkswagen Golf rival starting from £14,995. This undercuts the entry-level Golf by £1,500, but even the lowest of four available trims - Access, Active, Allure and Feline - does not scrimp on equipment.
Standard specification of Access models includes air conditioning, remote central door locking, cruise control with speed limiter, DAB digital radio, LED daylight running lights and Bluetooth connectivity.
With a giant 9.7-inch touchscreen, 16-inch alloys, satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, electric handbrake and rear parking sensors, Active trim is expected to be a popular option with consumers though some may opt for the larger wheels, reversing camera, front parking sensors and full LED headlamps of the Allure specification.
The top spec Feline trim takes aim at GT Golfs with an impressive standard equipment list including a panoramic roof, Alcantara trimmed sports seats and a Driver Assistance Pack that features Dynamic Cruise Control, Emergency Collision Alert and Emergency Collision Braking System.
Anything else?
At launch the 308 will be available with five petrol and diesel engines with the 1.6-litre HDi 92 likely to be the pick of the bunch due to emissions of just 93g/km. This will likely be usurped in Spring next year when a new generation of engines arrive including a range of Euro 6 compliant BlueHDi units with emissions as low as 82g/km. Also arriving then will be Peugeot's new 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, which will offer up outputs of 110- or 130hp. A new generation of six-speed automatic transmissions is also on the cards.
The Peugeot 308 is now available to order, with first deliveries in January 2014.
Paul Healy - 3 Oct 2013