Peugeot e-308 review

The interior is arguably the strongest aspect of the e-308: it’s much fancier than you’ll remember from Peugeots of old and sits ahead of comparable electric rivals. You often feel with these cars that the manufacturers are having to skimp in places because of the higher cost of the constituent elements. Then again, this is a £40k+ car, so it should feel fancy.

One complaint we have is visibility: over the shoulder is hampered by a wide B-pillar and the back of the car is so solid that you’re left relying on the wing mirrors and tiny parking camera image on the touchscreen. With a low seating position and a long, square bonnet in front of you, it can feel like sitting in a bird hide at times.

What’s the dashboard like?

Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout has graduated nicely over the years, and it’s a long time since we’ve heard anyone grumble too much about the ‘small wheel, high dials’ setup. Go for a fancier trim line and those dials will have a 3D, hologram feel that’s gimmicky, yes, but rather fun too. It doesn’t follow your eyes like on a Genesis though – that’s the next level up.

And the infotainment?

Peugeot has ploughed its own furrow with the 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment setup – it takes a little effort to figure out and set up, but once you’ve put the work in it’ll be nicely configured for day to day life. 

We like the physical buttons that control some of the more frequently used aircon functions, and the i-Toggle strip that comes as standard on all e-308s is a smart compromise. It’s a little touchscreen strip beneath the main screen that offers five configurable shortcuts from options on the main screen. So you can set a shortcut to Apple CarPlay or a favourite radio station, which is useful. 

Though changing the aircon temperature or turning the heated seats on or off still means a bit of screen diving, so it’s not quite there yet.

What’s the space like?

The boot is smaller than a stock 308, but a match for the plug-in hybrid version at 361 litres with the rear seats up, 1,271 with them down.

It’s not hugely commodious for taller adults sat in the back, but it’ll compare well to anything below a Skoda Octavia and Stellantis’ clever portioning of the battery cells ensures the floor is of regular height. Plenty of EVs rob you of foot room beneath the front seats while angling your knees awkwardly as you sit in the back. Not this one.

Likewise, the boot is smaller than in a stock 308, but a match for the plug-in hybrid version at 361 litres with the rear seats up, 1,271 with them down. There’s an electric version of the estate on the way soon enough, so that would deal with any bootspace worries.