Peugeot 308 Review 2025

With some manufacturers moving away from selling family hatchbacks, it's great to see Peugeot double-down with a bunch of mid-life updates for the 308. It's more stylish than ever, making the Volkswagen Golf seem dull by comparison, but what can it offer besides good looks? Find out in our full Peugeot 308 review.

The original Peugeot 308 came at a time when the French brand's offerings looked challenging and lacked lustre. In the years since, Peugeot has got its act together, which the current 308 ably demonstrates. 

Yes, it also sells swanky SUVs such as the Peugeot 5008 but the family hatchback arena isn't exactly known for visual flair, making the striking 308 stand out. 

Although the Peugeot 308 has one less rival to worry about now that production of the Ford Focus has ceased, there are still plenty of alternatives to choose from. Those include the smoothly styled Mazda 3 and the econonomical Toyota Corolla.

There's competition from much closer to home in the form of the Vauxhall Astra. If you could peel back its bodywork it would be clear to see that its underpinnings and mechanical components are essentially the same as those used by the Peugeot 308.

Attractive finance packages often work in favour of more upmarket brands which means the likes of the Audi A3, the BMW 1 Series and the Mercedes A-Class are also 308 rivals.

While the Peugeot 308 wasn't exactly crying out for design changes, its 2025 facelift has ushered in a number of visual modifications, mostly at the front end.

The pre-update model's distinctive and massive 'lion's claw' daytime-running lights, stretching from the headlights down the edges of the bumper are gone. That might sound like a backwards step, but result is neater and remains distinctive.

Now there are three 'claw' elements in each headlight, tying in with the illuminated flecks above the grille, although the backlit Peugeot lion emblem is a bit much, if on trend with other manufacturers. The rear has changed less, although the light clusters have been revised.

To go with the aesthetic rejig are some important changes beneath the Peugeot 308's bodywork. These include new gearboxes and a bigger battery for Plug-in Hybrid versions, although this was also available in the latest pre-facelift cars.

To drive, the Peugeot 308 isn't especially sporty but feels more than capable enough while — importantly — proving comfortable and refined. That is, when you aren't revving the Hybrid 145's three-cylinder engine too hard. It's less vocal here than in some other cars from the Stellantis group of brands, but should you want something quieter, your only other option is the Plug-in Hybrid 195. 

Perhaps surprisingly, the 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel engine hasn't been dropped to coincide with the 308's update, although there is a lapse before it goes on sale in March 2026. While we applaud the option still being available, in the now diesel-averse UK market, we suspect that most interest in that model will come from police fleets, which have been using this Peugeot for years. 

While we're on the subject of propulsion choices, it's worth noting you can have the 308 as an electric car. The Peugeot E-308 has also been given the facelift treatment as well a decent uplift in driving range.

Or if you want something with a greater degree of practicality the estate-bodied Peugeot 308 SW has also had a makeover.

Peugeot 308 Plug-in Hybrid: Range and charging times

Introduced just before its 2025 facelift was the upgraded Peugeot 308 Plug-in Hybrid 195, boasting an extra 4.8kWh of battery capacity. For the latest versions, that equates to an official driving range figure of 52 miles in Allure specification and 51 miles for the GT and GT Premium versions.

As standard, the 308 Plug-in Hybrid's on-board AC charger has a maximum flow rate of 3.7kW. When plugged into a typical UK domestic residence wallbox charger, a flat to full recharge takes 4hrs 20mins.

Upgrade to the £400 optional 7.4kW AC on-board charger, which is standard equipment on GT Premium models and that time drops to 2hrs 5mins. There's no DC rapid charge facility available.

Whereas sister firm Citroen focuses on comfort over handling with its related C4, the Peugeot 308 tries to tread a fine line between both dynamic qualities. And it does that rather well. 

Even on larger-diameter wheel options it remains still capable of smothering bumps on rough roads with little fuss. There's a bit of suspension thumping noise over really broken asphalt and big potholes, but it's far from intrusive, while at higher speeds the 308 controls its body movements well.

Handling-wise, the steering has Peugeot's classic trait of feeling more agile than it might otherwise thanks to its small wheel and quick responses. Turn-in is good, it grips strongly and it flows down the road well.

At cruising speeds, refinement is decent, with wind noise kept to a minimum. There's some tyre noise, particularly if you've gone for a model with bigger wheels but it's nothing excessive. 

Previously, you could choose the Peugeot 308 with the 1.2-litre Puretech 130 three-cylinder petrol engine, the self-charging Hybrid 180 as well as both the Plug-in Hybrid 180 and 225, but the line-up has subsequently been rejigged.

Entry point to the range now is the Hybrid 145. It uses the same three-cylinder engine but adds mild hybrid technology in the form of a small battery and electric motor combination to give some light assistance. It can run on electricity alone, but only at very low speeds and for less than a mile.

Although it struggles in Peugeot's SUVs, it's perfectly suited to the lighter 308. Despite its name it produces 147PS and 230NM of torque make for a 0-62mph time of 9.3 seconds and a top speed of 130mph. Although it's not the smoothest thing when you're extracting its full output, the 308 is soundproofed well enough to get away with it. 

Its six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox is one found in many other Stellantis products, Peugeot models included. It's occasionally clunky in its responses and takes an age to kickdown, but shifts smoothly most of the time.

Now with less power, the Plug-in Hybrid 195 uses a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic in place of the previous eight-speed traditional automatic. , and it's actually a little less powerful than the 225PS version you could get previously. It develops 196PS and 360Nm of torque for a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds, with a top speed of 140mph, or 84mph in electric-only mode. 

It's not exactly a rocketship but it covers ground effortlessly thanks to its extra oomph compared to the Hybrid 145. The fake engine noise in Sport mode is unnecessary — it sounds like something from an early entry in the Gran Turismo video game series.

It should be noted that the transition between electric-only and hybrid running can sometimes be abrupt, usually when you're demanding a lot of power.

The 1.5-litre BlueHDi 130 diesel engine has been retained for the facelift, albeit arriving several months later. We previously drove it in the pre-updated car and found the refinement to be good, while its 300Nm of torque means it didn't need to be worked as hard as its modest 131PS power output might suggest.

The Peugeot 308 was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2022, achieving a four-star result. Sounds decent enough but it's underwhelming when five-star scores are so common among its rivals.

Breaking it down into the individual categories, the 308 scored 76% for adult occupants, 84% for children, 68% for vulnerable road users and 65% for its safety assistance systems.

Every version gets lane-keep assist, speed limit recognition, a driver attention warning and cruise control. 

The Peugeot 308 is best suited to towing in diesel form, with a maximum braked trailer weight of 1550kg for the pre-facelifted model.

Of the facelifted range the Plug-in Hybrid 195 isn't far behind at 1360kg, although pre-update 180 version was rated at 1500kg ratings. The Hybrid 145 manages 1150kg.

A manually retractable tow bar for the Peugeot 308 is a £790 option. 

Practicality is the most disappointing aspect of the Peugeot 308, even though it's larger than its predecessor. For reference those increases include a 55mm longer wheelbase, a 110mm overall increase in length to 4367mm and 57mm greater width (now 1859mm)

Those figures promised to make the current 308 a more accommodating car. While we've no complaints with head or legroom up front, the pedals are mounted a too close relative to the seat even for taller drivers, meaning your knees sit higher.

That might be less of an issue were it not for Peugeot's i-Cockpit layout, which combines a small, low-set steering wheel that you look over to see the dial display. Those of above average height may find their ideal driving position is compromised as a result. When balance is achieved, the 308 is a comfortable place to sit.

We can't say the same for the rear, however, where those six feet tall sitting behind those of a similar height will find head, leg and foot space all at a premium. Some smaller cars are roomier, although adults below average height and children in car seats will be fine back there, plus the seats themselves are comfortable. 

While it's slightly better than the previous 308, this generation's rivals, barring the svelte Mazda 3, are all more generous with cabin space.

Still, the 308's 412-litre boot is larger than most cars of this size, as is its 1323 seats-down capacity.

Note that the latest Plug-in Hybrid 195's capacity is much reduced to 314 litres with the seats up (361 for the older Plug-in Hybrid 180) due to the larger capacity battery under the boot floor. Seats folded that total capacity drops to 1258 litres, down from 1271 litres for the smaller-batteried model.

The previous-generation Peugeot 308 managed to feel more special inside than most of its core rivals and that trend has continued with this iteration. 

It's right up there with the VW Golf in terms of fit and finish, with an abundance of plush, soft-touch mouldings, suede-like material on the dash and contrasting stitching on high-end models.

Sure, there are some harder plastics on the lower reaches of the dashboard and doors but that's par for the course at this price point. Overall its a high quality environment. 

Regardless of which Peugeot 308 you go for you get a 10.0-inch central touchscreen paired with a 10.0-inch digital dial display. All but the very cheapest — and no longer sold — Active Premium models feature a third, smaller screen below the main touchscreen, bubbed i-Toggle.

It's a configurable shortcut display that allows you to preset six chunkily sized virtual buttons to access your most used functions, such as the climate control, navigation, your favourite radio station or even a phone number you ring often. Being so large it works well on the move — certainly better than the fiddly shortcuts of the old 308.

We can't help but wonder if that space would be better used with some physical buttons for the climate control — it's a pain having to bring up a dedicated screen, temporarily replacing your navigation, just to change the temperature or fan speed. 

There are some secondary piano-style physical keys underneath, while the main touchscreen itself is clear, bright and more responsive than older Peugeots. The software behind all this can be a bit laggy, though and the integral navigation isn't the easiest to follow. 

From the 2025 facelift, all 308s get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. A Focal sound system is an optional extra models, although we weren't exactly blown away by it. 

The Peugeot 308 range kicks off with the Hybrid 145 in Allure trim for £29,995. It's then £32,095 if you want to upgrade to GT specification and for the GT Premium grade, it's £33,395.

If you'd rather go for the Plug-in Hybrid 195, you'll be paying £35,095 for Allure, £37,195 for GT and £38,895 for GT Premium.

The related Vauxhall Astra undercuts the 308 a fair bit with its starting price of £26,810 but that's for a non-hybrid version with a manual gearbox. Specify the same mechanical set-up and the difference narrows with the Astra priced at £29,260, although the Vauxhall doesn't feel as upmarket inside as the Peugeot. 

As an extra point of comparison, the Volkswagen Golf range starts at £28,895, although that's for the entry-level Life trim level, also with a manual gearbox and no hybrid assistance.

Efficiency for the Hybrid 145 is impressive at up to 62.6mpg according to the official WLTP Combined cycle. That number jumps to a whopping potential of 148.1mpg for the Plug-in Hybrid 195, but we wouldn't pay much attention to that. The testing procedure is very flattering for PHEVs, so what you actually achieve will depend on myriad factors.

With an electric-only range of up to 52 miles in the facelifted PHEV — bank on around 35-40 miles in reality — you might rarely need to use the engine side of the equation, leading to big savings if you can charge at home and have an electricity tariff with off-peak periods. 

For a more old-fashioned way to save money, there's the 308 BlueHDi 130 diesel to consider. We haven't seen an official economy figure for the facelifted cars, but it'll likely be around 60mpg if the outgoing version is anything to go by. 

In terms of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), it'll be £195 annually from year two, regardless of your chosen 308, because the £10 discount for Alternatively Fuelled Vehicles — hybrids, in other words — was dropped in April 2025. 

Company car drivers will be keen on the low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) taxation ratings offered by the Plug-in Hybrid 195, potentially leading to a relatively low monthly salary sacrifice. That's true of the Allure specification which is in the 9% band, but the GT and GT Premium trims are at the 16% level. For reference, the electric Peugeot E-308 is 3% across the board.

Peugeot's warranty is nothing special, lasting for three years and 60,000 miles, with unlimited mileage for the first two years. You might well have wanted something better for additional peace of mind, as well, because Peugeot doesn't tend to crown itself in glory in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index ownership survey.

Most recently, the brand was ranked 29th out of 33 manufacturers for reliability, while the 308 itself was deemed the sixth least reliable car.

That encompasses all three generations of 308, so it doesn't necessarily reflect what the current car will be like to own. The brand's quality has increased dramatically in recent years, while the technology and engines it uses are well-proven at this point.

Today's Peugeot 308 line-up is far more streamlined than when this generation was introduced, with a three-level hierarchy of Allure, GT and GT Premium.

The Peugeot 308 Allure comes with the following as standard:

• 17-inch Bangkok diamond-cut alloy wheels
• Full LED headlights
• Peugeot signature 3-Claw daytime-running lights
• Dark-tinted rear windows
• Rear parking sensors
• 180-degree reversing camera
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel 
• 10.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Keyless start

The Peugeot 308 GT builds on the above with:

• 18-inch Helsinki diamond-cut two-tone alloy wheels
• Matrix LED headlights
• Illuminated grille and badge
• Keyless entry and starting
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Eight-colour interior ambient lighting

The range-topping Peugeot 308 GT Premium adds:

• 360-degree four-parking camera system
• Heated steering wheel 
• Drive Assist Pack Plus additional driver aids