Peugeot 308 sold out, replacement delayed

If you want to buy a Peugeot 308 – France’s answer to the Volkswagen Golf and Mazda3 – you’re fresh out of luck.

That’s because all stocks of the current 308 have been exhausted and Peugeot Australia says they won’t be replenished until the next-generation hatchback arrives in the second quarter of next year.

Yes that’s later than the Q1 2022 timing previously advised by the company, which could therefore be without its iconic hatchback for six months or more.

As we’ve reported, the all-new Peugeot 308 – which will again be joined by a wagon version due on sale in Australia by the end of 2022 – is based on Peugeot’s latest EMP2 architecture and brings the French car-maker’s newest design language and latest safety, technology and powertrains.

In Europe, it will be available with mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and even all-electric powertrains – with both front- and all-wheel drive – but may not spawn a replacement for the iconic Golf GTi hot hatch.

Other key advances for the new Peugeot 308 will include a 10.0-inch infotainment touch-screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, sat-nav and Bluetooth, and a high-set 10.0-inch digital instrument cluster display behind another shrunken steering wheel.

New semi-autonomous driver assist tech will extend to long-range blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, a self-cleaning reversing camera, 360-degree park assist and Peugeot Drive Assist cruise control capable of stop-and-go driving, lane keeping and automatically adapting the vehicle’s speed around corners.

Some of these technologies could be the reason for the new model’s delay, given the ongoing semi-conductor shortage affecting car-makers around the world.

Even Australia’s dominant auto brand, Toyota, is facing waiting times of 10 months or more for popular models like the new LandCruiser 300 Series, the old 70 Series and the RAV4 Hybrid.

Other brands have opted to remove certain features from cars – and adjust pricing accordingly – rather than delay deliveries, such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

A spokesperson for Peugeot Australia importer Inchcape told carsales that customer satisfaction was its “number one priority” but that forces beyond its control have affected supply.

“The global automotive industry faces an exceptional situation with the accumulation of the health crisis and a worldwide shortage of semiconductors,” said the spokesperson.

“Our global teams are mobilised to drive manufacturing activity in this unstable context and understand the need to adapt accordingly. Despite daily effort to deliver our customers the best possible experience, there may be times where we are faced with potentially longer delivery times for some orders.”

Peugeot Australia’s top-selling models, the 3008 mid-size SUV and 2008 small SUV, appear to be holding their ground but the spokesperson noted that wait times vary depending on specific customer orders.

Another area of the French car-maker’s business affected by the microchip shortage include its light commercial vehicle (LCV) range, namely the Peugeot Expert, Partner and Boxer vans.

“Model year 2021 LCV stock is restricted by demand, ahead of the introduction of the revitalised 2022 range in quarter one 2022,” said the spokesperson.

Some car-makers are forecasting the global chip shortage will continue into 2023 and, while Peugeot says it does not plan on deleting models or variants from its local portfolio, it won’t rule out ‘decontenting’ models if necessary.

“There may be adjustments in the specification of vehicles… we continue to work closely with the factory on this topic,” said the Peugeot spokesperson.