SPY PHOTOS: Peugeot 308

On location in South Africa

Meet the new Peugeot 308! A South-African reader snapped the newcomer outside Stellenbosch on Saturday. A film crew was preparing the car for a photo or advertisement shoot, when Francois Malan spotted it on his way to the office. The new 308 is due to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Although the 308 was parked on a public road, angry security officials told Francois that they would call the police to arrest him if he takes photos of the car. But their threats didn't stop him from doing so. His photos are some of the best yet of the successor to the 307. In the past other readers as well as our own staff have been intimidated or assaulted by film crew or security officials at ad shoots in public areas. Our photos show that the 308 is bigger than its predecessor. Power will come courtesy of a range of engines co-developed with BMW, including 1.6-litre petrol engines and a 2.2-litre turbodiesel. The new 308 will also be available as a diesel hybrid, which will use the company's 80kW 1.6-litre turbodiesel. This model will get a paddle-shift gearbox, with regenerative braking to top up the batteries under deceleration. The nickel metal hydride battery pack is claimed to be very compact, sitting in place of the spare wheel.