The French lion is celebrating its 200th anniversary, which is quite an accomplishment. To put it into context, when Peugeot was founded in 1810, Napoleon had 11 years left in him and Beethoven was still hard at work.
Of course, had Napoleon or Beethoven popped down to their local Peugeot dealership it would have been to purchase a coffee mill rather than a car. The company's first foray into mobility came with push bikes in 1830, and it wasn't until the 1890s that Peugeot built its first internal combustion engine-powered cars, inspired by meetings with Gottlieb Daimler in person.
More than a century later, cars have advanced to a level that would have been unthinkable to the fathers and founders of the motoring industry — a level that allows Peugeot to mark its bicentenary with a model powered by an engine less than three times the size of those in its first ever models, but producing 100 times the power.
GTI is back
The 1.6-litre turbocharged unit present in the 308 GTI makes it the most powerful version of the 308 hatchback since the model's launch in late 2007. Put to good use in the new RCZ coupé and in the 308CC convertible, it's an engine used to deliver a combination of power and economy by other manufacturers, too.
There is a secret hidden deep in the GTI though. It's not designed to compete with scalding three-door performance models such as the Ford Focus RS, Renaultsport Mégane, Volkswagen Golf R or Seat Leon Cupra R, but with 200bhp and a sub-eight second 0-100kph acceleration time, it's not your run-of-the-mill family hatch, either.
But despite the induction roar and impressive in-gear acceleration, the model is capable of functioning just like a regular family car from nine to five. The five-door layout offers good access and practicality, the steering is light around town and the ride demonstrates typical French prowess.
Yet there's always a degree of menace bubbling away under the surface. It's implicit from the exterior styling; the 308's handsome design has been subtly revised in GTI specification with butch bumpers at both ends, a rear diffuser, twin chrome exhausts, carbon inserts in the front and particularly attractive alloy wheels. It is subtly aggressive but still discreet, boosting its everyday appeal. However, when the mood calls for it, the 308 GTI goes a long way towards delivering proper GTI thrills. The 1.6 THP unit comes with a rewarding soundtrack and the chassis, although not on a par with genuine hot hatch models, proves more than capable of dealing with enthusiastic cornering. It changes direction nimbly and with little loss of traction, body roll is limited given the quality of the ride, and both throttle response and braking are impressively urgent. The steering suffers for its tractable nature in town, offering decent weight but limited feedback and the steering wheel feels a little oversized for a sporty model.
Despite these small faults, you can rely on the model to put a smile on your face with its performance. The value for money is likely to do the same. Half-leather interior, parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, electric windows and mirrors and neat touches such as the metal gear knob and pedals are all standard.
Lumbar support and side bolsters on the excellent front seats along with an arm rest for rear passengers makes it effortlessly comfortable, and the interior ambience borders on the luxurious thanks to some contemporary styling and details.
Verdict
Peugeot could have celebrated its birthday with an all-out performance model but the sporty yet tractable 308 GTI is actually a far better demonstration of the manufacturer's car building ability. It's a measured blend of the sensible and the entertaining, and would no doubt have pleased the Peugeot family.
Specs & ratings
- Model: 308 GTI
- Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
- Transmission: Six-speed manual
- Max power: 200bhp @ 5,500rpm
- Max torque: 275Nm @ 1,700rpm
- Top speed: 237kph
- 0-100kph :7.7sec
- Price: NA
- Plus: Good value, tractable engine, sleeper looks
- Minus: Chassis and, um, sleeper looks
RIVALS
Honda Civic Type R
GCC-spec Civic Type R is the rawest hot hatch on sale in the region, because we still don't have the mental Renaultsport Mégane, and Ford isn't keen on selling the deranged Focus RS here. But the Honda is enough, with 198bhp, a great chassis and even better six-speed manual transmission. Pick one up for Dh115K.
Volkswagen Golf GTI
Depending on whether you want two or four doors, manual or DSG, leather or cloth, the GTI can be had for anywhere between Dh100K and Dh130K. With 207bhp, a blinding chassis that's both intuitive and challenging to delve deeper into, and superb practicality, this just could be the best car on sale anywhere. Our 2009 car of the year too.
Seat Leon FR
The bargain-hunter's Golf GTI looks as weird today as it did the day it was launched in 2005. But if you can live with the shoddy plastics, low-ish equipment levels and the questionable styling cues, you'll get a sublime drivetrain (DSG and 207bhp) and great performance for much less than Volkswagen would charge: Dh93,000.
LI'L Beastie
With twin-scroll turbocharging, direct petrol injection, and variable valve lift and valve timing, the Peugeot needs only 1.6-litres of engine capacity to compete with 2.0-litre rivals. Mated to a six-speed manual, maximum power is 200bhp at 5,500rpm, and 275Nm of torque is available from 1,700rpm.
