Market for hot hatchbacks has collapsed; performance PHEV version of Peugeot 308 too heavy and unlikely
Prospects aren’t great for the future of the hot hatchback, if you ask Peugeot. “If you look at the market for sporty versions, and the CO2 regulations, it has collapsed,” said Peugeot product director Jerome Micheron in a Top Gear report. This means that there won’t be a high-performance GTi version of the just-unveiled 308 hatchback, according to the report.
What about high-performance plug-in hybrid versions, such as with the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain that features in the 360 hp/520 Nm 508 PSE sedan and station wagon? Not on the cards either, apparently. “We don’t see a market yet, and it adds extra weight,” Micheron said of the idea.
The third-generation 308 does, however, feature two PHEV variants – the Hybrid 180 and Hybrid 225, both paired with the 1.6 litre turbo petrol Prince engine that outputs either 150 PS and 250 Nm of torque or 180 PS, while combined torque from the powertrain is 320 Nm.
In any case, the 308 gets a sportier stance at its base. This third-generation model is 20 mm lower than its predecessor, while stretched to be 11 mm longer with a wheelbase that has also grown by 55 mm.
What Peugeot has provided for with the EMP2 platform that underpins the latest 308 is the ability to use a fully electric powertrain, and a pure EV 308 is in the French brand’s roadmap, Peugeot told Top Gear. Before the fully electric 308 debuts, a station wagon will emerge a few months from now, the magazine has learnt.
The revelations come after the French brand unveiled its new brand identity last month, along with its aim of having 80% of all vehicles sold this year to be electrified in some form.
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