Peugeot e-308 review

The fully electric Peugeot e-308 has a lot in common with the regular petrol-powered 308. That's obvious, you might think.

After all, while they draw their power from different sources, only an extra letter separates their names, and they look pretty much the same. The same goes for the estate version – the Peugeot e-308 SW. It’s based on the 308 SW but is fully electric.

However, did you know that the e-308 also has much in common with the Vauxhall Astra Electric? You see, while the two cars have different names, wear different badges and look distinct inside and out, underneath they're virtually identical, sharing the same batteries and motors.

Peugeot e-308 video review

So how do you separate these two electric cars? Well, you can read this review to find out how the Peugeot e-308 compares with the Astra Electric and other models you might be considering, including the Cupra Born, MG4 and Renault Megane. Read on to find out how we rate the e-308 and e-308 SW against key rivals...

Every Peugeot e-308 and e-308 SW has a battery with a usable capacity of 51kWh and a 154bhp electric motor driving the front wheels.

The 0-62mph time of 9.8 seconds isn’t far behind a Vauxhall Astra Electric (9.2 seconds) and there’s enough punch to keep up with traffic in everyday driving, but plenty of rivals sprint up to speed with much more vigour. They include the entry-level Cupra Born, MG4 and Volkswagen ID 3. A Tesla Model 3 RWD (which costs about the same as a top-spec e-308 GT) takes around 5.8 seconds.

The e-308 SW estate car is slower than the equivalent Astra Electric Estate. 

Electric range is a big consideration too. The e-308 and e-308 SW’s official figures of 257 miles and 254 miles don’t particularly stand out against rivals, and are slightly less than that of the Born and ID 3. The MG4 Extended Range and Model 3 RWD can officially cover up to 323 miles, while the Born is also available with a bigger battery and 342-mile official range.

So do the e-308 and e-308 SW stand out in other areas on the road?

Well, the handling is competent rather than exciting. The steering is direct enough for you to point the nose of the car with ease, even though it’s not as sharp as a Born’s and the lightness robs you of a little confidence on twisty roads.

While the e-308 doesn’t sway violently when cornering, the Born is much more tightly controlled while the Model 3 is in a different league entirely.

The e-308 rides pretty well over most surfaces. It has a slightly firm edge so you do feel the initial impact from road imperfections and potholes, but they’re dealt with quickly and the e-308 is more settled than the softer Astra Electric.

The e-308 is also slightly quieter than the Astra Electric on motorways, but lags behind the Born and ID 3 when it comes to filtering out noises from the outside world. The Renault Megane is even more hushed, with less road noise.

“The Peugeot e-308’s small steering wheel won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I find it easy to turn when threading my way around a multi-storey car park.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The lay-out of the Peugeot e-308 and e-308 SW’s interior is identical to what you'll find in a Peugeot 308 or Peugeot 308 SW.

That means it gets Peugeot's i-Cockpit, which gives you a small steering wheel you look over – rather than through – to see the 10in digital driver's display. Some people find that set-up really awkward, so try before you buy.

Upgrading from entry-level Allure trim to range-topping GT adds a 3D effect to the driver's display. The idea is to make it clearer to read at a glance, but the reality is that it feels like a bit of a gimmick rather than something helpful.

The driving position is otherwise mostly sound, with lots of manual adjustment for the seat (including for lumbar support). Taller drivers might wish the steering wheel came a little closer though. You get a good view of the road ahead, although you feel slightly higher up in a Cupra Born or VW ID 3.

Chunky rear pillars and a small rear window obscure the view out behind you, but all e-308s come with standard-fit rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera. The top-spec GT also gets front parking sensors. You can add an optional 360-degree camera, making things even easier.

Bright LED headlights come as standard, making for great visibility at night. Range-topping GT models swap them for full matrix LED headlights that adapt their full beam automatically so they don't dazzle oncoming drivers.

Every e-308 gets a 10.0in infotainment touchscreen. It's generally impressive in its look and lay-out, although the response time could be a little sharper. Standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring allows you to run your smartphone apps on the screen. On GT trim cars they work wirelessly.

Below the main touchscreen there's a separate panel with touchscreen shortcut buttons that are helpful for hopping between different menus. On GT trim, they are also configurable (called i-Toggle) so you can set your preferred ones.

Unfortunately, the climate controls are mostly controlled through the touchscreen, which is more fiddly and distracting while driving than using traditional buttons or knobs.

In terms of quality, the e-308's interior compares well with rival electric cars. The materials look and feel pleasant, and it’s easily better than what you find in an MG4 or ID 3.

“I like the customisable i-Toggle shortcut keys. I set them to control the heated seats to save me having to dig into the main menu on the infotainment touchscreen.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Continuing the trend, the Peugeot e-308 and e-308 SW have identical footprint to the petrol and diesel 308s, meaning the space inside is also largely identical.

As a result, even your tallest friends won’t find themselves struggling for head or leg room, and the decent interior width means you won’t be rubbing shoulders with your front-seat passenger. The Cupra Born and VW ID 3 feel slightly more airy though.

You also get plenty of storage space, with helpful cubbies strewn around, including within the standard armrest and large door bins.

Rear space varies more between the hatchback and estate car versions. The e-308 has enough head and leg room for children but is tight for adults. It’s similar to a Vauxhall Astra Electric and more accommodating than a Renault 5. The e-308 SW has a little more rear head room, but leg room remains tight.

As you might expect, the e-308 SW has the largest boot of the two versions, offering 548 litres of space with the rear seats in place. That's more than the Astra Sports Tourer Electric (516 litres). The rear seats fold in a versatile 40/20/40 split and fold flat, which is really handy when you have rear-seat passengers but need to load long items into the boot.

The hatchback e-308 gets the same 361-litre capacity as the 308 plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which is down on the 412-litre boot a regular Peugeot 308 gets. It’s pretty much the same size as the boot in the MG4 while the Cupra Born’s is bigger. The hatchback's rear backrest folds in a less versatile 60/40 split, but GT trim gets a ski hatch in the middle of the back seats.

Disappointingly, neither version of the e-308 comes with a front boot so you’ll lose some boot space to your charging cables. 

“Rear seat space is a bit tight and I found that the e-308's small door openings made access to the back seats a bit tricky.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The Peugeot e-308 and e-308 SW are relatively pricey against their closest rivals. They’ll cost more to buy outright than an equivalent Cupra Born or VW ID 3 while even the most expensive version of the MG4 costs thousands less.

Worse news is that even the excellent Tesla Model 3 RWD – which is better in almost every area – costs about the same as an e-308 GT.

To keep costs down, we’d stick with entry-level Allure trim. It comes with lots of standard equipment, including 18in alloys, climate control, adaptive cruise control, rear privacy glass, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

If you’d like extra niceties such as keyless entry, ambient lighting and the 3D driver's display and parking aid upgrades, you’ll need to jump up to range-topping GT.

When it comes to charging, every e-308 has a maximum charging rate of up to 100kW. With a fast enough charger, it should be possible to charge from 20-80% in around half an hour. Most rivals can accept a faster rate, while the Model 3 also gives you full access to the brilliant Tesla Supercharger network.

Using a 7kW home EV charger the e-308 should charge from 20-80% in about four hours, 25 minutes, or from empty to full in just over eight hours. 

As for reliability, Peugeot as a manufacturer came 19th out of 31 brands in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. That puts it at a similar level to VW, above MG, but below Hyundai, Kia and Renault. You get a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, with the battery covered separately for eight years or 100,000 miles.

There's no safety rating specifically for the e-308 but the regular Peugeot 308 was tested by experts at Euro NCAP in 2022 and was given a four-star rating (most rivals hold five stars). It scored well in most areas but the testers commented that the protection for the driver’s chest was fairly weak.

“I think it’s great to see a range of colours available for the e-308, with a metallic Obsession Blue finish as standard.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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