Peugeot 308 In Depth

Press Release

The market

Maintaining a range strategy, consisting of a number of different models able to meet if not exceed the requirements of a varied customer base, has always been a key objective for Peugeot. In 1934, the Peugeot range consisted of four individual models: The top-of-the-range 601, the 401 (upper medium segment), the 201 in the most popular segment and of course, even then, a 301 between the latter two models, most of the models were also available in different body styles (saloon, two door versions, open-top coupé, etc). With the introduction of the 3 series, Peugeot entered the compact vehicle market segment, which has grown steadily over recent decades. Young professionals looking for a dynamic, expressive and modern vehicle, older people in search of versatility, couples without children, young families: whether coming from the next range down or the next range up, customers in this segment (M1) are today particularly diversified. This segment offers many different choices and numerous benefits, be it in terms of value for money, vehicle size and interior space. Indeed the latter is of particular importance in explaining the success of the 307.

The 307

Launched in 2001, the 307 stood out completely from other hatchbacks in its segment thanks to its semi-tall architecture. Taking on board the possible demands of future customers, Peugeot took the innovative risk of proposing a single volume vehicle with a very forward-positioned front windscreen and unusually tall architecture for the time. The result was a vehicle which offered generous interior space, excellent visibility and interior brightness for its occupants. Benefiting also from a resolutely elegant style, impeccably dynamic road holding and particularly innovative equipment for its segment, the 307, thanks to its excellent versatility, it has already sold more than 3 million during the six years since its launch, a record figure for the Marque in the compact vehicle segment. The 307 has left its mark; its concept, now an essential part of the motoring landscape, was naturally the basis for the conception of the 308.

Conception

From the outset, the aim of the project was to ensure the 308 featured all of the strong points upon which the success of the 307 was built, but also develop them even further. The experiences gained with the 307 and its architecture and the technological advances made by the Marque, have made it possible to pull off this challenge and, at the end of the day, meet very high quality targets. As a result, the project named “T7� was built around the 307 platform and its architecture. It was on this basis that all design studies were carried out and that teams in the Styling, Engineering and Marketing departments worked together to create the 308.

Exceptional style, road holding and aerodynamics

The platform

The “T7� project is based on platform 2 of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group. This ensures straight away that the 308 had a solid foundation for its development. This platform, modified and optimised, stands out due to its excellent rigidity, ensuring optimal performance of the mechanical assemblies and suspension but also providing good noise and vibration suppression.

Exterior dimensions

Through its exterior dimensions, the 308 offers an excellent compromise between interior space and overall dimensions. A length of 4.276 m, or only 74 mm more than the 307 despite a very high level of safety and repairability, with:

• a wheelbase of 2.61 m, that favours interior space - the same as that of the 307,
• a front overhang restricted to 926 mm (48 mm more than the 307) and a rear overhang of 742 mm (+ 26 mm compared to the 307).

A generous width of 1.815 m, an increase of 85 mm compared to the 307, ensuring excellent lateral passive safety and interior passenger compartment width. A height, which continues to set the car apart in the compact saloon segment and makes possible its generous interior space - 1.498 m (12 mm less than the 307 as a result of the optimised styling and aerodynamics). Similarly, to meet the requirements of the styling and road holding, the front and rear tracks have been widened compared to those of the 307 (e.g. with 15’’ wheels):

• 1.536 m for the front track (+ 30 mm compared to the 307 with equivalent wheels)
• 1.531 m for the rear track (+16 mm compared to the 307).

Larger wheels, clad with 195/65R15, 205/55R16, 215/55R16, 225/45R17 and even 225/40R18 tyres (available on numerous versions), also enhances the general style of the 308 and its road holding efficiency.

Aerodynamics

The styling and dimensions of this new Peugeot allow for a particularly efficient aerodynamic specification. Indeed in this respect, the 308 is clearly one step ahead of its predecessor; its exceptional Cx of 0.29 is better than that of competitor’s five door models. This excellent result and the SCx that results (0.67), despite a cross sectional area (S) of 2.3 m2 due to the height and width of the car, is the result of extensive work carried out in the wind tunnel on the vehicle’s body. The final result is a reduction in fuel consumption combined with low running costs and optimal environmental efficiency.