More relevantly, its official electric-only range of up to 44 miles beats the 225’s 40 miles. We managed around 26 miles of petrol-free motoring on a bitterly cold winter’s day, but we’d expect to see something in the mid-30s in warmer weather.
You need to be gentle with the accelerator to keep the engine from kicking in, but you can coax the Hybrid up to motorway speeds without using any petrol. Plant your foot in the carpet, though, and the combined efforts of engine and electric motor get the 308 up to speed briskly.
On a twisty road, the 308 has enough grip in reserve that you can take corners at pace with confidence, and body lean is minimal. The steering is a bit on the light side, though, and doesn’t have the progressive weighting you find in the rival Seat Leon, so it isn’t the most engaging family car to drive.
Taut suspension controls body movements well but doesn’t soak up bumps as effectively as that of the Audi A3 40 TFSIe. The 308 is a quiet cruiser, though; the engine is hushed and the suspension makes little noise over bumps. However, the A3 is quieter still.
What’s it like inside?
The dashboard in the 308 differs from those in most rivals because you view the standard 10.0in digital instrument panel over – rather than through – a small steering wheel. The wheel has a flat top to help, but short drivers might still find the instruments obscured unless they have the wheel set in an unnatural position.
Neither the instrument panel nor the 10.0in central touchscreen is as intuitive to use as the A3’s, but the large, handy shortcuts below the 308’s touchscreen are welcome.
If you find too much tech off-putting, there’s always the closely related (and cheaper) Vauxhall Astra to consider, because it has a more conventional layout. The Astra’s gloomier innards and acres of shiny black plastic mean the 308 comes across as classier inside, with materials that are much closer to the A3 in terms of quality.
Space in the front of the 308 is good, but rear leg and head room are at a premium for those over six feet tall. The Hybrid’s boot is smaller than the regular 308’s; the battery reduces boot space from 412 to 361 litres.
Other than that, the rest of the 308’s interior is unchanged over what we’ve already written about in our dedicated Peugeot 308 review.
