Peugeot 308cc 2010 Review

Peugeot 308 CC 1.6 turbo

Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before dealer and statutory charges): $48,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): nil
Crash rating: five-star (Euro NCAP)
Fuel: 95 RON Premium ULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.5
CO2 emissions (g/km): 177
Also consider: Ford Focus CC, Volkswagen Eos, Renault Megane CC, Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 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

The coupe-cabriolet -- CC in common parlance -- is here to stay. Peugeot's 308 CC, which is the latest iteration of a genre founded by the company way back in 1934 -- is wider, longer and replete with new technology that makes it an all-round better proposition than the 307 CC it replaces.

And, like the five-door hatchback and wagon 308 variants, the CC joins the trend towards smaller powerplants by utilising the jointly-developed 1.6-litre petrol engine appearing in BMW's MINI range (and Peugeot's 207) to deliver eco-friendly road performance where acceptable accelerative punch combines with genuine frugality and low exhaust emissions. In fact, the turbocharged petrol 1.6 compares surprisingly well in these respects with the new 2.0-litre HDi turbodiesel that is also available (for the first time) in Peugeot's second-tier CC.

A conceptual evolution of the previous 307 variant more than a radical departure in terms of its looks, the new car employs Peugeot's contemporary styling signatures with a vengeance. Up front, it has the gaping Peugeot mouth topped by a bold, single nostril bearing the corporate lion emblem, the headlights sweep dramatically towards the A-pillars which themselves reach almost to the wheelarches, and there's a pronounced wedge profile (awkward from some angles) with the elevated-rump stance that typifies most front-drive coupe-cabriolets.

Occupying a little more road space than say, the latest VW Golf, the 308 CC does a bit better than the 307 version by looking after its passengers with more cabin width (elbow room is up by 25mm) and a minuscule 10mm of extra foot and knee space for back-seat passengers. It might not sound much but, when you're dealing with what was already a tight space, every millimetre counts -- and the 308 CC's larger doors also help make for easier entry and exit.

The 308 CC has a number of other things to crow about: it scores a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating with features such as headrest-deploying side headbags, pop-up rear rollover bars and rear parking sensors. Peugeot says the seat headbag is a world-first in a convertible. It combines with the usual SRS array of dual front and side bags (like the headbags also seat-mounted) to give similar protection (apart from rear-seat passengers) to a regular car with curtain airbags [Ed: in this respect arguably it moves this affordable CC segment on -- hence our higher than normal safety rating score.]

And the new CC offers something you'd normally only expect in a significantly more expensive German import: the optional "Airwave" system that directs a chill-eliminating flow of warm air for front-seat passengers around the neck and shoulder area in cold weather. Airwave is standard in the up-spec S models and optional when leather is specified at entry level.

Entry level doesn't mean your 308 CC is anything to cringe about. The test Peugeot was a base, six-speed manual-transmission model, but it felt anything but frugal.

Probably the first thing passengers new to the 308 CC will notice is the impression of space in the front of the cabin. The substantial-looking dash is mounted well away from driver and co-pilot, who are already sitting lower inside the cab than in the 307 CC.

The biggish, leather-rimmed steering wheel adjusts for reach and height and helps relieve any claustrophobic impressions with almost Germanic thigh space under the bottom of the rim. Satellite radio controls, as well as the cruise control switches, are located on stalks protruding from the steering column. Sadly they are blocked from the driver's line of sight by the steering wheel and only become easy to operate after a period of familiarisation.

The instruments are generally clear and functional -- even the white-faced speedo and tacho with their attendant fuel and temperature gauges. Peugeot's big step forward in interior tactility is evident in the CC's classy centre stack with its accessible and logical aircon and audio controls.

The seats at this level are manually adjusted and cloth trimmed, but bring no cause for complaint even after a long stretch on the road. The two back seat passengers are provided with adequate width but need to strike a deal with those in front if they want sufficient legroom. Otherwise it's a spot for pre-adolescents, not adults.

For a convertible, rear three-quarter vision with the roof up is pretty reasonable because the 308 CC has a relatively large rear window, as well as side windows that minimise the blinkering effects of the C-pillar.

Peugeot says the roof closes or opens in just 20 seconds, which is pretty quick, but for some reason it felt slower in our test car. As with most CCs today, this operation can happen on the move, although in the Peugeot's case it can't be more than 12 km/h. There are others that can travel more than double this as the roof goes through its motions.

A bonus is the amount of boot space that is available with the roof up. In the 308's case it is a quite massive 465 litres -- although you do need to be a bit careful when loading to avoid clashing with some of the intricate roof closing mechanisms. Drop the roof, and the space shrinks to 266 litres accessed via a post-box aperture below the folded-down roof panels.

To drive the 308 CC is to ponder whether or not Peugeot is getting its act together on suspension refinement. The company moved away from its reputation for exquisitely balanced ride and handling after it replaced the 306 with the 307 in 2001. The change was a bit of a shock for Pug fans brought up on not just the 306 but also the bigger 405 and, even further back, the rear-drive 504 and 505 sedans.

The jury is still out on the 308, although the CC doesn't feel at all bad on the roads. It doesn't have the magic-carpet qualities of old, but it's not harsh either, even if the MacPherson strut-style front suspension and rear torsion beam axle have been toughened up compared to the hatch and Touring wagon versions.

Dropping the ride height (12mm front and 8mm rear) while engineering a generally more rigid assembly are not usually the things done to compensate for a convertible's natural loss of torsional rigidity compared to a metal-roofed hatch. In the CC's case it doesn't appear to contribute to any apparent increase in body flex, while the ride remains acceptably compliant and the steering appropriately responsive. It's not a hard and sharp sportscar but it's far from being slovenly.

The 1.6-litre turbo engine does pretty much what Peugeot wanted it to do. With 110kW at 5800rpm (and 240Nm coming in from as low as 1400rpm) it drives a bit like a good, solid, normally aspirated 2.4-litre.

Even though it has close to 1.6 tonnes to haul along, the small capacity turbo does a good job. It pulls smoothly, quietly and steadily from low rpm, even in higher gears, and doesn't mind a bit of a rev. In the base six-speed manual version, zero to 100km/h comes up in 9.8 seconds (faster than the 100kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel) and top speed runs out to an irrelevant 215km/h. The fuel and emission figures aren't bad either: the manual averages 7.5L/100km and emits 177g/km of CO2.

By comparison the six-speed auto-only diesel takes 11.8 seconds to get to 100km/h, averages 7.0L/100km and emits 185g/km of CO2.

If there's a downside, it's that the 1.6-litre turbo demands premium unleaded fuel.

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