Peugeot 308cc 2009 Review

Peugeot 308 CC

What we liked
>> Sharp design
>> Ride and handling
>> Airwave neck warming system

Not so much
>> Long doors
>> Rear seat room
>> Oversized steering wheel

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine and Drivetrain: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
-- Building on tradition
Peugeot invented the world's first coupe cabriolet with a metal folding roof before WWII, back in the mid 1930s. Unlike its modern-day ancestor, that classic 1934 vintage 401 Eclipse didn't feature a neck warming system, stability control or an overboost engine function. Today the 308 CC gets all of the above -- it also marks the first time Peugeot has offered diesel power in a convertible Down Under.

Indeed, the new 308 CC boasts more technological features than most of its rivals, offering the kind of gear that is usually associated with high-end German convertibles.

Showing off a modern, dare we say avant garde exterior design, the 308 CC makes a solid first impression. It's got a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, has a fully automatic metal folding roof that takes 20 seconds to complete its metamorphosis and is powered by efficient yet punchy turbocharged petrol and diesel engines.

Sounds like a winner, then? The only problem Peugeot's stylish new drop top faces is the stiff competition in the form of Volkswagen Eos, which shot to the top of the segment when it was launched here in March 2007 and has stayed there since.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

The entry level vehicle price begins at $48,990 for 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and six-speed manual gearbox and rises to $59,990 for the range-topping 308 CC S with the 2.0-litre diesel.

Standard features in the base model are commensurate with its near-$50K pricetag. Included are six airbags as standard (including the world's first implementation of side head airbags that deploy from the seats), plus electric windows, mirrors, cruise control, self-deploying rollover bars, an automatic locking glovebox and central storage compartment, rear park sensors, electric folding door mirrors, MP3 compatible stereo, 17-inch alloy wheels, sports seats with cloth trim and electronic rear parking assistance.

Upgrade to the 308 CC S and you can get electrically adjustable heated leather seats, a windstopper, 18-inch wheels, directional xenon headlights, electronic front parking sensors and the very useful Airwave neck heating system.

Peugeot offers a few options too, such as metallic ($950), pearlescent ($1200) and premium paints ($1500). The entry-level 308 CC can be optioned with leather seats which includes the Airwave heating system and a windstop ($4100) and also 18-inch alloy wheels ($900).

Mercifully, all models get a full-sized spare which, as we discovered, comes in very handy when you hit a pothole the size of Lake Eyre...

The petrol engine is shared with the BMW-built Mini Cooper S and is the only engine in the 308 CC range available with a six-speed manual transmission. It can also be paired with a four-speed automatic, where it is rated  at 103kW at 6000rpm. With the manual gearbox it develops more power at lower revs, 110kW at 5800rpm. Both gearbox options output the same torque levels: 240Nm at 1600rpm.

It's a fairly thrifty little engine too, sipping a claimed 7.5L/100km in the manual and 8.1L/100km in the auto. Bear in mind the cars weigh 1587 and 1598kg respectively -- more than 200kg heavier than Audi's just released TT TDI coupe by way of comparison.

The 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine is a first for a Peugeot convertible and will help the 308 CC take on Volkswagen's popular Eos, which also has diesel option. Peak power is 100kW at 4000rpm and torque is 320Nm at 2000rpm.

Peugeot has only one gearbox option for the turbodiesel engine, a six-speed automatic transmission built by Japanese company, Aisin. It’s not a bad cog-swapper, but more on that later.

The diesel version is the economy king of the range, using just 7.0L/100km. We can only muse at what a manual version would have achieved...

Rolling stock is fairly impressive -- 17-inch alloy wheels shod with Continental brand 225/45 aspect ratio tyres on CC and larger 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/40 tyres on premium CC S.

The Peugeot 308 CC sits on a similar suspension rig as the rest of 308 range with Macpherson type struts at the front, and a rear torsion beam. Interestingly, the 308 CC is lower than its hatchback siblings, dropped by 12mm at the front and 8mm at the rear. Disc brakes at all four corners are backed up with ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist.

While the back seats don't have a huge amount of leg room and won't be of much use on longer trips to anyone other than small children, Peugeot has increased rear passenger space over its predecessor, the 307 CC. Leg and knee room is up by 10mm and because the car is wider, shoulder room rises by 24mm too.

The boot is remarkably useful, with a generous 465 litres of space in coupe mode and 266 litres in cabriolet mode, or about 15 per cent more space than its predecessor, the 307 CC.

There are two seat trim levels available (cloth and leather) and this tester prefers the cloth. The leather seats were comfortable enough, but on the fast and winding roads we tested the car lacked support. You tend to slide around in their seats during spirited driving -- not an issue in the entry-level models with cloth seats.

There is a palpable sense of luxury in the cabin -- from the design of the seats and the soft-touch dash plastics, to the sporty instrument dials faux reflective highlights. Indeed, interior fitout is good overall. Yes, it looks a little dated here and there, but there's still a sense of quality and when it comes down to it everything works. I was never left wondering where a certain control was or how to activate a system.

One of the nicer touches is that the car will deadlock the centre storage bin and glovebox with clicks of the key plip when in cabriolet mode. It's features like this that often help a car win over new buyers.

Though Australian test results were not available at the time of writing, the 308 CC had earned 36 out of 37 for front occupants safety in the EU, giving the car a five-star Euro NCAP rating, the highest possible.

As well as six airbags to protect occupants in the event of a collision (including world first seat-mounted headbags), the 308 CC's reinforced body structure also plays a big part in its five-star safety rating.

As well as door structures capable of resisting up to 6.5 tonnes, the windscreen or A-pillar has been reinforced to resist forces up to 12 tonnes. Joined by a roll-over protection system at rear that fires concealed roll bars in the event of a roll-over, the 308 CC is certainly made of sturdy stuff.

The 308 CC handles tracks faithfully through corners, delivering decent feedback through the wheel.

Both petrol and diesel engines accelerate well thanks to their turbocharged torque. While the 2.0-litre turbo diesel's strong midrange is somewhat blunted by the extra kilograms, the diesel-powered versions can be hustled along at a good clip. Acceleration is not mind blowing so standing starts are a little sluggish, but the 308 CC oiler hauls strongly once moving; overtaking is a cinch thanks to the strong midrange urge.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged, intercooled petrol engine is the same basic unit that powers the Mini Cooper S and was co-developed with BMW. Not surprisingly it's a silky smooth unit and though the 308 CC's portliness reduces the engine's intensity somewhat, it's still feels fairly fast both in a straight line and through corners. It has good levels of torque at 3000revs, and pushing the engine to its limits past 6000rpm can be very rewarding through winding roads.

On the freeway the car is quiet and smooth and the 1.6 engine ticked over at 2300rpm in sixth gear while travelling at 100km/h. The only minor issue I found with the manual 1.6 was the friction point of the clutch which took some getting used to -- there was huge pedal travel to engagement.

The diesel is the more efficient engine (by half a litre per 100km) but, clutch comment aside, I preferred driving the 1.6-litre turbo petrol for one reason -- it's the only model available with a six-speed manual transmission. It is a great shame you can’t choose a manual diesel combo -- this car has good chassis dynamics and is a real pleasure to drive.

The Aisin supplied auto six-speed is a very capable gearbox, but having a clutch and the control of a manual makes the 308 CC feel more like a sportscar. You can stubbornly hold on to gears and the responsive 1.6-litre four-cylinder intercooled petrol engine responds well, while flicking between gears is far more satisfying experience than just flooring the throttle in the auto.

On the flip side, the auto is more suited to city driving and commuting. There is a four-speed auto option for the petrol engine which will cater to a wider audience.

Exhibiting a smooth ride, the 308 CC soaked up most bumps and pot holes well for such a low car, (sitting about 10mm lower than other 308s) and there was very little scuttle shake or flex noticeable through the body -- another plus when cruising through the countryside.

With the top down, the cabin was pleasantly calm. Even at186cm tall, I didn't feel much swirling around the old crown and conversation was easy, even at highway speeds.

However I should mention that one of the cars did have a problem with the roof, which wouldn't close all the way after the ECU circuit for the reverse parking sensors became dislodged. When normal service is resumed, the roof system is generally very impressive, operating quickly and quietly and taking 20 seconds to open or close fully. It can be operated while rolling at 12km/h.

One of my initial concerns was that the steering wheel was a touch big, but this is not a deal breaker and some drivers may even prefer it that way. The 308 CC doesn't have steering wheel controls, instead using two pods that live behind the steering wheel -- cruise control on the left, audio on the right. The cruise control is a bit fiddly, especially because you have to 'feel' which button you're pressing, but with practice the system works well enough.

Airwave is standard on top models and available as an option on others. Three temp/intensity settings and three directions make top-down motoring comfy in the colder months and at night and the system works well. Indeed, the levels of technology on the Peugeot 308 CC are very impressive, and perhaps the only thing that it lacks is the glass sunroof function of the Eos.

On the second day of the launch the sunny Byron Bay weather went south, replaced by heavy rain, which brought a number of things came to light. Firstly, the 308 CC handles well in the wet and secondly, with the roof closed it's not a bad thing. There's a couple of creaks here (when attacking corners at higher speeds), but the same goes for most convertibles with folding metal roofs. It's not too claustrophobic either, with plenty of headroom for front seat passengers.

While the 308 CC's spring, damping and rebound rates are well dialed-in, some Aussie pot holes are just plain nasty, as I discovered. After bursting a front tyre kilometres away from civilization, I was grateful that all 308 CC's came packaged with full-sized spare wheels.

Overall, the 308 CC makes for a very attractive image car, but people looking for something that drives well and has a sporting intent will also find something to smile about. It's a very satisfying drive which at times feels even better balanced than the 308 hatch (more here). At the very least, it serves to whet the appetite for the next chapter in the 308 story, the RCZ...

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