Peugeot 308 2026: changed little, changed well - the most complete ever

It hasn’t changed much, but the changes are the right ones. The Peugeot 308 2026 is the most complete it’s ever been.

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The Peugeot 308 keeps on delivering. For four years it has been among the best-selling cars in its class in Portugal, and there’s every reason to believe it will stay that way. Or almost every reason… because with the 2026 update, everything has improved-apart from the price.

A sizeable part of that rise is tucked away under the bonnet. Every engine is now electrified. Even the new 1.2 Turbo is now a 48 V mild-hybrid-in other words, it’s a fully petrol-powered engine that gets a small “boost” from an electric motor to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

That move towards electrification, combined with an automatic gearbox, has pushed the price of this model up by a significant amount. As we explain in the video above, there are other reasons behind the increase too-some of them we know all too well.

With these updates, the Peugeot 308 is undeniably the better car, which helps to offset the higher asking price to some extent.

For this first drive, we’re focusing specifically on the 1.2 Turbo mild-hybrid version, which is likely to be the strongest seller in Portugal. The fully electric and plug-in hybrid variants will have to wait for another occasion. Hatchback or estate? That choice is yours.

New year, new face

It won’t be hard to tell the Peugeot 308 2026 from the previous model: the front end has been completely redesigned. The lighting now uses a split layout, the light signature sits higher and stretches across the full width, and even the badge is now illuminated.

Beyond that, the changes are limited to the wheels and, on the GT version I drove, they’re 18″ rims wrapped in low-profile tyres. I was worried this might spoil comfort, but it didn’t.

Inside the Peugeot 308, the updates are more understated. The i-Cockpit remains the centrepiece-and still divides opinion. Personally, it’s worked for me from day one, though I accept not everyone will click with such an unusual approach.

Otherwise, it continues to be what it already was: one of the most solid, best-built cars in the segment, with carefully chosen materials, generous room-for passengers and luggage-and one of the most comprehensive standard equipment packages around.

Changes you can’t see

There are further updates on the Peugeot 308 2026, but they’re not visible because they sit under the bonnet. Every powertrain is now electrified-partly or fully-but the spotlight has to fall on the unit I drove in the video above: the 145 cv Hybrid.

Despite the name, this entry-level engine is a 48 V mild-hybrid, and it’s expected to be the most popular choice among Portuguese buyers. It’s a 1.2 Turbo petrol engine, but there’s no need to worry: it isn’t the Puretech. That means no oil-bathed belt; instead, it now uses a timing chain-an important change, not least for buyers’ peace of mind.

Output is 145 cv, achieved with help from a small electric motor delivering 29 cv and 50 Nm. It may not sound like much, but it cuts emissions by 17 g/km and trims fuel use by almost one litre per 100 km. The gains can be bigger in town, where up to 50% of journeys can be handled purely by the electric motor.

Don’t tinker with a winning formula-or only a little

On the road, the refreshed Peugeot 308 feels very much like itself: reassuring, well put together, stable, comfortable and lively enough-especially in this range-topping GT form. The 18″ wheels with low-profile tyres play a big part in that, yet they still deliver the sort of comfort a family will appreciate. After all, this model “graduated” from the French school.

The Hybrid 145 may be the least powerful engine in the line-up, but I never once felt it was short of performance, even with only a small 1.2 Turbo up front. It won’t win any traffic-light drag races, but it does its job effectively, including when the car is loaded with people and luggage.

The new engine is also more pleasant to use than what came before, and part of that comes down to the dual-clutch automatic gearbox-also the only one offered.

What I couldn’t confirm during this first encounter on Portuguese roads was real-world fuel consumption-we’ll need a longer test for that. Peugeot quotes just 5,0 l/100 km on the combined WLTP cycle (for the 308 SW), which is an excellent figure that I’d like to put to the test.

It’s more expensive, but there are reasons

The Peugeot 308 2026 may not look massively different, yet it has changed a great deal in the areas you don’t see-and those are the ones you feel most in your wallet: the price has climbed sharply. The entry version now costs more than 6000 euros compared with its predecessor, with pricing starting at 33 535 euros (Hybrid 145 Style).

Too much? Possibly. But the entry-level model is no longer what it used to be: the old, purely combustion engine with a manual gearbox has gone, replaced by an electrified (mild-hybrid) powertrain paired exclusively with a dual-clutch transmission. That alone accounts for thousands of euros.

Standard equipment has also been improved, both for comfort and technology, because the range now begins with the Style trim rather than the old Active level, which has been dropped. Not even the 15% reduction in emissions-which softens the blow of Portugal’s anachronistic car taxation-has been enough to narrow the price gap.

For the GT version I tested, the highest equipment level, the price edges dangerously close to 40 thousand euros. It’s a lot of money, but it leaves very little on the options list.

For companies and ENI (empresários em nome individual), it may make more sense to choose the 308 Plug-in Hybrid 195 (up to 85 km of range) or the E-308 (up to 450 km). They cost even more, but come with several tax advantages, such as VAT deduction in the case of the electric model.

Verdict