Peugeot is off to a great start with the 308, which has already been crowned European Car
of the Year.
But, what if its 470-litre boot is just too small for your needs.
Well, you could need the SW estate version, which has a boot larger than some SUVs.
Not only that, but it also looks rather elegant too.
It has certainly taken a step upmarket compared with its predecessor, with a smaller grille,
neat headlights and cleaner lines.
It has been on a diet too, shedding up to 140kg in an effort to perform better and save
you money.
Peugeot doesn’t have the same reputation for quirky styling as Citroen, but the 308’s
cabin is quite adventurous.
This small steering wheel is said to improve agility and you need at the instruments over
it, rather than through it.
The dashboard is minimalist and focused around this 9.7-inch touch-screen, which is a great
move, although we do miss having physical heater controls.
Even the base Active trim comes with air-con, sat-nav and parking sensors, while the top
GT version boasts red stitching for its upholstery, keyless entry and even a display showing acceleration
and how hard the turbo is working.
Aimed at families, the back of this car is just as important as the front, and the middle
bench is fine for two adults or three children and folds flat easily when you pull these
boot levers.
The 660-litre boot is huge, exceeding models like the Civic Tourer and Golf Estate.
With the seats folded, its 1,775 litres of space is more than you’ll find in the back
of a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
A low and smooth loading lip makes loading heavy objects far less of a strain.
The 308 SW is a comfortable car to drive, partly thanks to its lighter body, which has
allowed Peugeot to soften its suspension without blunting handling.
The small steering wheel is a novel feature, making sharp corners easy to tackle with a
flick of the wrist, but it can also grate on longer motorway journeys, where I found
it less comfortable to hold.
Diesels are popular in the SW, and you can choose from a 1.6 or 2.0-litre with between
92 and 180bhp.
Our pick is the version we’re driving now, the BlueHDI 120, because it can return a staggering
85.6mpg and costs nothing in annual road tax.
If you don’t have a high annual mileage, it’s also worth test driving the 1.2-litre
turbo petrol with 130bhp, because it’s surprisingly good at getting this load-lugger moving, despite
its small size.
Peugeot is targeting premium brands like Volkswagen and Audi, and it shows.
This 308 SW not only looks a lot classier, it feels it too.
The small steering wheel and minimalist interior may polarize opinion, but its low running
costs and gigantic boot certainly won’t.