First Drive: Peugeot 308 SW 2022

The new Peugeot 308 range has its priorities clearly set. With the SUV onslaught continuing to gather pace, the third-generation Peugeot 308 leans harder than ever on styling, technology and a broad spread of powertrains to keep winning over buyers. Those strengths were already clear in our first drive of the Peugeot 308 hatchback.

Our visit to Peugeot’s facilities in Mulhouse, France, had another surprise in store, though: we drove the final prototypes - still wearing camouflage - of the Peugeot 308 SW ahead of its official unveiling.

Three cars were available to us, each with different specifications. Because of the camouflage, we only got to see the finished shapes at the end of the day (shapes that have since been revealed and which you can now view), but before that we had already covered the roads around Mulhouse to discover what’s new in this latest French estate.

The first kilometres in the Peugeot 308 SW 2022

We began with the most powerful version in the Peugeot 308 SW 2022 line-up: the GT with 225 cv, combining the 1.6 PureTech petrol engine (180 cv) with an 81 kW (110 cv) electric motor.

It’s the first time the Peugeot 308 SW has been offered in electrified form - and it arrives in the best possible way. Pair those power units with a 12.4 kWh battery and the brand claims up to 60 km of all-electric driving (WLTP cycle) for the most powerful Peugeot 308 SW ever. This brief first contact didn’t allow us to measure consumption precisely, but real-world figures should not be far off the official claim.

On performance, the 225 cv deliver exactly what you’d expect: there’s plenty in reserve at almost any point, even when the electric motor is doing the work on its own. Without the combustion engine’s help, it will carry on up to 120 km/h without using a drop of fuel.

When both motors work together, however, you really feel what this French estate can do. The combined 225 cv push the whole package beyond legal limits with ease - perhaps with too much ease, because strong refinement and a supple suspension set-up disguise speed effectively. Only the e-EAT8 automatic gearbox occasionally struggles to keep up with the powertrain’s urgency, sometimes hesitating when we pressed on.

The previous 308 SW was already known for its dynamic balance and comfort, but this new generation takes a clear step forward. It’s not just the suspension coping better across all surfaces; it’s also the sound insulation and the solid, well-finished feel of the materials throughout that stand out.

Our final miles were completed in the 1.2 PureTech with 130 cv - likely to be the biggest seller in the home market. Even though this new generation is larger than its predecessor, any doubts we had about the engine’s strength proved unfounded.

With the 1.2 PureTech 130 cv, the Peugeot 308 SW still shows enough “muscle” for most situations. True to form for this unit, response from low revs is strong - particularly valuable in town - and the mid-range has sufficient flexibility for longer journeys. As for refinement, the Peugeot 308 SW again shows meaningful progress, even with this three-cylinder engine, which is typically the noisier option.

Dynamically, we can be unequivocal: the Peugeot 308 SW sits among the best in its class. Despite lacking adaptive dampers, the engineers’ set-up successfully blends a comfortable ride with handling that can genuinely entertain. And it’s not only down to suspension tuning. The EMP2 platform - still underpinning this new 308 generation - is wider and lower, giving the driver a stronger sense of connection to the road than before.

The new Peugeot 308 SW on the outside

After driving the camouflaged Peugeot 308 SW cars, it was finally time to see the bodywork in its finished form. Peugeot turned one of its warehouses into the reveal venue to avoid unnecessary travel and prevent images leaking early.

It worked. It was one of the rare occasions we’ve attended a model reveal without having already seen the final shape - leaks have become increasingly common. That likely made the moment even more impactful. As soon as the cover came off, compliments about the 308 SW’s lines came thick and fast among the dozens of international journalists present.

We know styling is always subjective, but the Peugeot 308 SW’s proportions seemed to win over everyone in the room. Agnès Tesson-Faget, product manager for the 308 range, offered an explanation: “the Peugeot 308 SW was developed from scratch as if it were a completely new model”.

Peugeot’s designers approached the Peugeot 308 SW with a “blank sheet”. According to Agnès Tesson-Faget, that gave “freedom to the design department to create a more harmonious rear end. This is not a model derived from the 308 hatchback, but an estate with its own identity”.

Inside, the solutions are exactly those found across the rest of the 308 range: the latest-generation 3D i-Cockpit, the new infotainment system with i-toggles (shortcut keys), and a level of material choice and assembly quality that would make premium brands envious. The big difference is luggage space: boot capacity is now a very generous 608 litres, expanding to 1634 litres with the rear bench fully folded.

The Peugeot 308 SW range

Due to reach the market at the start of 2022, the Peugeot 308 SW shares its engine line-up with the hatchback. As a result, the range spans petrol, Diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

The plug-in hybrid offer uses the 1.6 PureTech petrol engine - with either 150 cv or 180 cv - paired with an 81 kW (110 cv) electric motor in every case. There are two versions in total and both use the same 12.4 kWh battery:

• Hybrid 180 e-EAT8 - 180 cv maximum combined output, up to 60 km of range and CO₂ emissions of 25 g/km;
• Hybrid 225 e-EAT8 - 225 cv maximum combined output, up to 59 km of range and CO₂ emissions of 26 g/km.

The combustion-only offer is built around the familiar BlueHDI and PureTech engines:

• 1.2 PureTech - 110 cv, six-speed manual gearbox;
• 1.2 PureTech - 130 cv, six-speed manual gearbox;
• 1.2 PureTech - 130 cv, eight-speed automatic gearbox (EAT8);
• 1.5 BlueHDI - 130 cv, six-speed manual gearbox;
• 1.5 BlueHDI - 130 cv, eight-speed automatic gearbox (EAT8).

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