Peugeot 308 GTi 270
Australia's Best Driver's Car

7th

Peugeot’s hot hatches have a storied history, but the French brand has been strangely quiet in the segment for years, when it fielded too many pretenders and not enough performance. No more -- the new 308 GTi 270 is a hottie par excellence and its giant-killing performance shone brightly on Tasmania's toughest Targa roads during ABDC.

Hot hatches brought character, agility and performance in a different realm to their powerful large-capacity rivals to Australia’s Best Driver’s Car 2016.

To be honest, it seemed a little unfair … to the bigger cars, that is! Punchy little engines and lean proportions give them a youthful vigour that was refreshingly accessible and just a tad intoxicating.

The Peugeot 308 GTi 270 is a shining example.

Don’t be fooled by the understated design. With the GTi, real performance makes an unwavering return to the French manufacturer’s small car line-up, and its enticing on-paper credentials disn't disappoint in real-world driving or racetrack testing.

It’s as if this car was designed with Tasmania’s tight, winding roads in mind.

We should, however, get in early and address the ergonomic elephant in the room: a finicky seating position and a steering wheel that obscures the instrument panel are two primary concerns. And the backwards-swinging tacho, which wasn’t everyone’s cup of feng shui, is pure form over function.

But get sorted behind the wheel, or not as may be the case, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a more sophisticated and capable car in this class, which includes Volkswagen's benchmark Golf GTI.

Its race-inspired performance is delivered without sacrificing creature comforts, too. The Peugeot’s spec sheet portrays a solid performer, at a competitive price point.

The 1.6-litre engine pumps out 200kW at 6000rpm, which is far from humble. But it’s the 308’s 300Nm of torque available from 1900rpm that really brings this car to life. It’s mated to a six-speed manual transmission, and then you can tap into ‘sports’ mode for something extra.

A shapely sports steering wheel and proper mechanical limited-slip diff pave the way for a drive that is unflinchingly committed to corners. And though torque steer is evident most of the time, it's never uncontrollable and the Peugeot was commended for its feel at the wheel.

It’s incredibly communicative and you’ve always got a good sense of connection with the road, encouraging you to dive deeper and power out earlier, and all the while offering great rewards for very little effort.

Weighing in at just over 1200kg, the 308's low mass works in its favour. And under pressure the 308 GTi was a bit of a surprise package. Pitched against some fairly formidable rivals with much more power and far bigger pricetags, the GTi brought its A-game!

True manual transmissions were common in this year’s ABDC line-up, from the beastly HSV and Holden SS-V to the slick Porsche 911 and BMW M2. Notwithstanding the Peugeot’s long-throw shift gate, its six-speed manual is a satisfying set up.

Throttle response is terrific in Sport mode and the exhaust sounds better too. Pushing all the power to the front wheels, the Peugeot’s is decisive in its placement.

That tidy dose of torque is available from less than 2000rpm, making the Pug's not-so-humble performance incredibly accessible – and mighty willing – from just about anywhere in the rev range.

So let's cut to the chase, shall we?

At Baskerville Raceway at the hands of Luke Youlden, this tenacious Frenchy crêped all over its hot-hatch rivals from Renault and MINI. With loads of torque, a great chassis and brakes for days, the 308 crossed the line in 1.02.643 seconds, giving it most respectable sixth-place honours overall.

Very tidy, indeed.

Straight-line performance testing was understandably a greater challenge for the Peugeot, which reached 100km/h in 6.809sec, just ahead of the MX-5, MINI and Clio. And it managed the 0-400m sprint in 14.625sec with a top speed of 163km/h. A little slow in this company, but otherwise fit for purpose.

Overall the GTi is capable and endearing; the kind of car that is a pleasure to jump inside and drive hard -- every time, no matter what the road conditions demand. It reveled in fast corners and lapped up winding bends, laying claim to the kind of versatility some others on test could not.

On open roads, the ride remained compliant but the dull roar of the 19-inch Michelins was a constant, although the sweet engine note offers nice balance to the finished soundtrack.

At the end of the day, commonly shared concerns about the Peugeot were fairly limited, but poor ergonomics and NVH saw points slide. A solid contender amid some stellar competition, the Peugeot’s ultimate place in ABDC 2016 tells a story of the competition’s extreme competence more so than the Peugeot’s lack thereof.

Sporting the smallest-capacity engine on test and priced under $50,000, the 308 GTi more than earned its place in Australia’s Best Driver’s Car.

Long live the front-wheel-drive hot hatch. And welcome back Peugeot to the top of the heap.

2016 Peugeot 308 GTi 270 pricing and specifications:
Price: $49,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 200kW/330Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 139g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP

motoring.com.au’s 2016 Australia’s Best Driver’s Car

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