See all Motoring News The new Peugeot 308 SW has been completely restyled, sharing only its name with its predecessor, to reveal a modern and refined estate car with a low, classy and sporty allure. Featuring the same innovative i-Cockpit as the hatchback version and indeed the same stylish front face, Peugeot engineers and designers have together conceived an estate with exemplary road holding, spaciousness and class leading performance. An award-winner even before launch, it shares the prestigious European Car of the Year 2014 accolade with its hatchback sister and was awarded the maximum five star Euro NCAP safety rating. It arrives in Ireland this July.
At 4.58m in length, 1.47m in height and 1.8m in width, Peugeot designers have created a sporty estate with a wide stance. The wheelbase has been extended by 11cm compared to the hatchback and the rear overhang by 22cm, to allow more rear passenger room and of course, a bigger boot. This configuration allow a generous boot size, that ranks amongst the best in the segment; measuring 1.06m in length up to the rear shelf, the boot volume below the parcel shelf totals 610 dm3 (660 litres). "Magic Flat" rear seats allow instant folding of the rear seats, to result in a total load volume of 1660 dm3. Access to the rear seats is optimised by wider rear doors and by moving the rear seats back by 29mm, compared to the hatch.
The reduced height allows the centre of gravity to be lowered by de 20mm compared to its predecessor and thus the aerodynamic performance is improved with a remarkable Cx figure of 0.28 and SCx from 0.64 m2, which works to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Together with a longer wheelbase, the lower centre of gravity also assures better body rigidity and improves vehicle weight distribution, to offer better ride and handling, even when fully loaded.
The front end of the new Peugeot 308 SW shares its character with the hatchback and continues the Brand's feline signature, to include full LEDs fitted as standard on the upper trim levels. The fluid, low profile is highlighted by aluminium roof bars and a chrome window finisher that surrounds the entire lateral glazed area. The rear lion-claw LED lighting signature, seen on 508 SW and 508 RXH, place the new Peugeot 308 SW among the brand's family of great estate cars.
Inside the new 308 SW, the Peugeot i-Cockpit is made up of four elements: a compact steering wheel for maximum control and driver involvement, a head-up instrument panel so that information can be read without taking your eyes off the road, a tall centre console and a large 9.7' touch screen for an intuitive drive. The quality of materials, the textiles used and the perceived quality of assembly have all been honed to place the new Peugeot 308 SW in the premium world. The dashboard is fully padded, the steering wheel is trimmed with full grain leather (from Level 2) and gloss black and satin chrome inserts are found throughout the cabin. The generous glazed areas and the huge 1.69 m2 optional glass roof bathe the Peugeot 308 SW's cabin in light. This optional panoramic roof can be fully covered with its electric blind.
As with the new 308 hatchback, the new Peugeot 308 SW is built on Peugeot's new Efficient Modular Platform (EMP2), to guarantee increased efficiency and excellent build quality. As a result, the new Peugeot 308 SW is 140kg lighter overall than its predecessor, making it the lightest vehicle in the segment and thus a class leader in terms of reduced fuel consumption and low-CO2 emissions.
The new Peugeot 308 SW benefits from a range of latest-generation Euro 6 petrol and diesel engines. For petrol, power outputs are between 110 and 155bhp with CO2 emissions from 109g/km. The new e-THP 1.2 litre 130bhp turbocharged version with a six speed manual gearbox sees the introduction of Peugeot's PureTech 3-cylinder petrol engine technology to the range. Modular and compact, clean and powerful, reduced weight and innovative low friction materials allow fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to be reduced by 21%. This engine has already achieved a new fuel economy record fitted to the new 308 hatchback. Independently witnessed it travelled 1810km with just one tank of fuel, recording 2.85 litres of fuel per 100km (99.1MPG). From July 2014, the petrol range will be rounded off with a 1.2 PureTech 3-cylinder110bhp turbo petrol version as well as a new six-speed automatic gearbox on the 130bhp petrol version.
The Diesel range goes from 92 to 150bhp with remarkably contained CO2 emissions that do not exceed 111 g/km. The new BlueHDi 1.6 litre 120bhp version with a six-speed manual gearbox has a combined fuel consumption of only 3.2 l/100km and CO2 emissions of 85g/km, a record in the segment.
The new Peugeot 308 SW is available with several driving assistance systems. As on the hatchback, the Driver Assistance Pack is available as an option, incorporating a radar at the front of the vehicle, used for the operation of dynamic cruise control, an emergency collision alert system and an emergency collision braking system. Other options include blind spot monitoring, an electric parking brake, a reverse camera with large colour screen, keyless entry and starting. With the launch of new Peugeot 308 SW, two more systems are added to this list. An active parking assistance system makes it possible not only to automatically park in (and exit from) a parallel parking space but also in a parking bay. A Driver Sport Pack is available offering firmer and more responsive power steering, louder and sportier engine noise, a red instrument panel display instead of white and the display of information relating to the use of the vehicle: power developed, turbo pressure, acceleration.
The new Peugeot 308 SW has successfully passed many quality tests, including 2.5 million kilometres of test driving covered before launch, 2,500 hours on test beds, 250,000 temperature cycle tests, 4.3 million presses on the touch screen without failure, etc. The quality of design and the care in the production of the new Peugeot 308 SW gives its occupants a feeling of safety and durability.
Built at Sochaux, the new Peugeot 308 SW will be fitted with power units produced at the Peugeot Trémery and Douvrin plants in France. Presented for the first time at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the new Peugeot 308 SW will go on sale on 24 April in France, followed quickly by other countries in Europe. Full pricing and specification details for the Irish Market will be announced closer to the launch, this July.