Category: Hot Hatchbacks 
Price Range: £13,495 to £21,945
Smooth punchy sweet-spinning lag-free engine, good ride/handling balance.
Expensive, not particularly sporting.
The sportiest 308 yet is not really that hot, but it's usable and cheap to run.
The shapely sport seats, new thick-rimmed leather steering wheel, aluminium touches and drilled pedals tell you this is a 308 with far more athletic aspirations than the rest of the more sensible range of small family cars.
Finding a comfortable driving position isn't a problem, although we'd personally prefer a lower seat. Like the rest of the range, in any position, visibility is hindered by the oversized front A-pillars.
Move off the mark and it's immediately clear what a fine engine the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol is. Co-developed with BMW and found not only in other Peugeot models but the Mini Cooper S, the smooth, yet willing engine is almost completely without lag thanks to its twin scroll turbocharging system that draws on high pressure exhaust gases directly from the pistons.
This means available boost arrives from as little as 1,000rpm, with peak torque arriving at a diesel-like 1,600rpm where strong pull is available all the way to the red line.
For the new more powerful car, there's a new compact, six-speed gearbox that offers a fine, light and quick change and a better spread of ratios than the 5-speed gearbox in the 207 GTi.
The performance on tap isn't blistering, sprinting to 62mph in 8.3 seconds topping out at 140mph. In isolation, these are pretty impressive figures, but Volkswagen's 168bhp turbo and supercharged 1.4 betters it, not only in hitting sixty quicker 7.9 seconds, but also feeling livelier on the move.
The 308's performance seems even less impressive when you consider the impact of the GT's near £19,000 list price. For those looking for the biggest bang for your buck look elsewhere. Both Honda's 197bhp Civic Type R and 222bhp Ford Focus ST are both cheaper, substantially quicker and more fun on the open road than the 308 GT.
Luckily, the 308 claws back some of an advantage over its hardcore competitors by being far more useable and, if you're looking for it, more comfortable to live with.
Even running on the new 18" wheels the ride feels more cosseting than the stiffer sprung diesel we drove last year on equally large rims.
In hard driving the 308 is competent, with nicely weighted steering, tenacious grip and some adjustability when entering a bend too quickly.
