The New Peugeot 308 GTI Is A Hot Hatch

Apr 03, 2017 08:56 PM EDT | Joyce Vega

The engineers at Peugeot have designed the GTi version of the 308 to meet the requirements of those who demand breathtaking driving experience. But is it the ultimate compact sports car as Peugeot claims it is?

According to Mirror, with its 1.6-liter engine, Peugeot has brought a knife to a gunfight. Rivals such as Ford Focus ST, Golf GTI, Honda Civic Type R, are all packing two liters of engine capacity. The 308 GTi packs the aforementioned 1.6-liter engine that puts out 268 horsepower via a six-speed manual gearbox. It needs six seconds flat to go from 0-60mph which is half a second faster than the Ford and the VW. On top of being lightweight at 1,205 kg, the Peugeot Sport engineers have lowered the 308 GTi as well. The car rides 11mm lower with a front track that is 10mm wider. It has stiffer springs, up rated dampers and more negative wheel camber on each corner.

On the outside, the car comes with 19-inch Carbon alloy wheels which are wrapped in Michelin Super Sport tires. There is an optional Coupe franche paint that costs £1,300. The first two thirds of the car are painted in Ultimate Red, while in the back it is painted in Pearlescent Nera Black. The chrome window is replaced with matt black and the rear glass is tinted. The car also receives the GTi badge on the front, side, and rear. The exterior shows the car’s sports front bumper, side skirts, large twin exhausts at the back and black rear diffuser.

As reported by Top Gear, on the inside, the car comes with GTi signatures here and there, and decent sports seats with contrasting stitching. The touchscreen is a multi-layer menu that is really frustrating to work with. It requires a multi-press process just to change the temperature in the cabin. The car comes with a price tag of £28,455 and there’s a lot to like. However, with just a few grand more you can get the Ford RS or a Golf R which are far more superior.

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