Peugeot 308 GT Line 2020 Review

Earlier this year, Peugeot Australia cut its 308 hatchback line-up down to two variants, deleting the sporty GT due to slow sales and simply offering an entry-grade Allure from $30,499 (plus on-road costs) and a new top-spec GT Line, which we’re testing here.

On sale since April 2020, the 308 GT Line is priced from $34,990 plus ORCs and shares the same small 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine with the Allure.

Yes, sadly, this means Peugeot’s punchier 165kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo used in the GT is no longer available – and the 308 GTi hot hatch is long gone from the model range.

Well, think of it as the French manufacturer’s answer to Hyundai’s i30 N Line (from $35,590) or a Kia Cerato GT (from $33,490).

Though lacking against its two Korean rivals in the performance stakes – both are endowed with a 150kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine – the 308 GT Line wins points back, to a degree, with a solid list of standard features.

The 308 is a minnow in the small car segment, which is dominated by the Toyota Corolla, the i30 and Cerato, as well as the ever-popular Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf.

The question is, does the Pug deserve a look in?

Peugeot has improved the standing of the 308 GT Line by offering drive-away pricing of $35,990 – just $1000 more than the recommended retail price.

This offer is due to expire on September 30, 2020, but might be extended, or could at least be used as a bargaining tool by prospective buyers, into the final quarter of the year.

A healthy list of standard equipment is on board, including a panoramic glass sunroof – that spans almost the entire roof – LED headlights and fog lights, red interior highlights and a sports exterior styling pack which adds a fancy front bumper, side skirt extensions, a different grille and an exhaust tip.

We like the fact that there are one-touch up/down windows for every passenger, 18-inch ‘diamond cut’ alloy wheels and automatic wipers.

Meanwhile, the driver is encapsulated by Peugeot’s iCockpit and a large central infotainment screen that breaks up a rather minimalist layout.

Safety and driver assist features include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, speed sign recognition and a distance alert system.

The 308 range comes with the French brand’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with roadside assist and ‘Peugeot Price Promise’ servicing.

Servicing is due every 12 months or 15,000km, with the ‘promise’ settling at $1441 over the first three years and $2293 across five years.

Inside, there aren’t a lot of soft-touch surfaces, and against direct rivals the 308 GT Line feels a little cheap.

Carefully scrutinise the door trims and you’ll notice some ragged edges where plastic surfaces meet.

It’ll be up to you to decide whether to look past these detail points and take a bigger-picture view, in a cabin which is easy enough to find your way around.

If carrying a full load of passengers regularly is on the agenda, you’d want the three in the back to be children or small adults.

Rear headroom is fine for humans of average height, however the standard-issue sunroof gobbles up some extra space.

Rear legroom and space for the feet under the front seats is surprisingly good, but the backrest feels a little too stiff and upright and the seat base could do with a little more under-thigh support.

Meanwhile, the person sitting in the centre-rear seat will be treated to a seatbelt buckle that digs into their left buttock.

The rear bench has a 60/40-split folding function to extend the 308’s cargo load to as much as 1274 litres – up from the standard, and quite decent, 435L when the rear seats are upright. Helping maximise space is the inclusion of a space-saver spare wheel underneath a false floor in the luggage area.

As for rear seat amenities, the 308 GT Line comes with two child seat tether points, a map pocket either side, a small fold-away storage bin with a single USB socket and door pockets big enough for a drink bottle and a few vape sticks, or whatever the kids call them these days.

Outward vision is good from the rear seat, thanks to a slightly higher seating position. However, it misses out on rear air-conditioning vents.

It’s pretty clear that the Peugeot 308 GT Line is best suited to singles or couples, perhaps those wanting a small car that’s a little more quirky and unique than a ubiquitous Toyota Corolla and Co.

From the driver’s seat, the cushioning and fabric upholstery are comfortable, but at $35K leather trim to match the GT Line’s perforated leather-bound steering wheel wouldn’t hurt.

The driver is also only handed manual seat adjustment as opposed to electric, which is a downer.

In the technology department, the advanced Peugeot iCockpit is on board (more on that here), while a 9.7-inch touchscreen controls the audio, climate control, vehicle settings and more.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring comes standard, as does satnav, digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

In practice, though, the central unit can be frustrating and finnicky to use, especially when trying to adjust air-con settings whilst on the move.

It also takes longer than expected to recognise your phone once plugged in via USB, often requiring an un-plug/re-plug, and there’s a significant delay between what the (kind of blurry) reversing camera shows on screen versus the car’s actual position – to the point you could easily hit an object that appeared to be further away than you thought.

Our other main area of disappointment concerns the storage solutions, or lack of them, in the 308.

The glovebox is barely big enough to fit the owner’s manual, while the single cup-holder in the centre console can only really comfortably hold a can of soft drink.

Yes, there is only one bona fide cup-holder up front. When not in use, it can be covered over with a sliding lid – useful if you’ve got things like parking tickets or coins to hide – while the padded lid on the centre console box can also be moved forward and used as an armrest, if the cup-holder is not in use…

Sure, you could stash your other drinks in the huge door trim pockets up front, just so long as they’re sealed because there’s no mouldings to hold a bottle or cup in place.

On the road, the Peugeot 308 GT Line’s little 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is zippy, sending its 96kW of power and 230Nm of torque to the front wheels.

It doesn’t take off with a great deal of pep, but with maximum torque kicking in at 1750rpm it feels much better once at speed. On paper, Peugeot says it’ll take 11.0 seconds to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h.

The steering, while firmly weighted, feels a little artificial and disconnected, with a springy sort of feel to it. It definitely takes some getting used to.

A lack of shift paddles underscores the fact that this top-shelf 308 doesn’t really live up to its ‘sporty’ characteristics – its GT Line badging is more about the looks – and when shifting the gearstick to manual mode and thrumming through the gears, it will often ignore – or simply not recognise – the driver’s inputs.

During normal driving, 308’s six-speed Aisin automatic transmission can also feel confused at low speeds, but comes good once you’re on the move at higher speeds.

The engine’s start/stop button similarly doesn’t always respond at first touch.

The 308 feels well sorted on the road, with an adequate amount of road and tyre noise suppression and good feel to the brake pedal. It becomes only slightly unsettled over harsh bumps and potholes, taking most within its stride.

If nothing else, the Peugeot 308 GT Line definitely offers a point of difference to the bigger-selling mainstream models that dominate the small car category.

It offers a touch of chic French flair in a neat little – albeit pricey – package, without trying to blend in and be something it’s not.

Whether it’s the best option for that amount of money? We’ll leave that for you to decide.

How much does the 2020 Peugeot 308 GT Line cost?
Price: $34,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 96kW/230Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 113g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2014)