Peugeot 308SW - Long Term Test : NEW TRICKS

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Our Peugeot 308SW long term test car has been racking up the miles. For those who need a compact mini-MPV but don't really want one, it could be a perfect choice. Jonathan Crouch reports

Let's say you want one of those mini-MPV people carriers but, to be honest, you'd really rather not have one. You need the occasional capacity to transport a couple of extra kids when yours are entertaining or on a day out. But you don't want to have to cart all of those extra chairs around constantly in a boxy bus. In short, you're target market for this car - Peugeot's 308SW.

Here's a family hatchback-based estate that can take up to seven people - yet you'd never know that from the outside. We've been running one on our long term test fleet for some time now and the car has continually impressed us by offering a decent boost to practicality without compromising the 308's other attributes. Although a compact estate might have an element of oxymoron about it, the 308SW is less compact than most. Peugeot has insisted that the SW needs to be able to seat seven with two occasional seats which can be fitted into the rear but these are really only any good for small children. As a seven-seat MPV, the 308 SW trails the pack but as a five-seat estate with some extra kids' space, it's very competitive. With the (second row of) rear seats in place, there's 674 litres under the rear load cover, while with the rear seats removed, there's a massive 2,149 litres up to roof level. Let's put those figures into perspective. Audi's latest A4 Avant claims to be the biggest estate in its sector, yet can swallow a mere 490 litres behind its back seats. Living with a car like this over a period means you start to notice little things that weren't immediately obvious upon first acquaintance. Like the way the front sports-style seats are super-slim, feeing up loads of legroom in the back. Or the way that the rear seats are raised up theatre-style, giving their occupants a much better view. Another thing you notice once on the move is how light and airy the cabin feels. That's because it features the largest expanse of glass in its class (2.26m3) and our test car has a huge panoramic glass roof fitted, which extends right over the back of the rear seats, flooding the interior with light.

"As a compact, yet spacious estate car with the occasional ability to transport a couple of extra kids, then the 308SW has plenty to be said for it."

Day to day, I often drive this 308 and remember how different today's compact family estate is to its equivalent of just a decade ago. Back then, could we ever have imagined that mainstream versions of a car of this kind might come equipped with features like cruise control, a speed limiter to maintain your pace to safe levels in urban areas, automatic headlights, electric folding mirrors and rain-sensitive wipers? Our car also has Peugeot's innovative RT4 multimedia satellite navigation system which pops discreetly out the top of the dashboard when you need it and vanishes away unobtrusively when you don't. But different people notice different things. Some of our testers, for example, particularly like the way the footwells light up to meet you whenever you open the doors. Others appreciate the air conditioning vents that keep the children cool in the rear. And all of us are impressed with the fragrance diffuser which can fill the car with a scent of your choice. Prices start at a premium over the standard five-door hatch of only £500-£600 in entry-level S models, though you'll need to budget on an extra premium of £1000 or more if you go for a higher spec version. Equipment on all variants runs to power steering, remote control central locking with deadlocks, electric front windows, a steering column adjustable for reach and rake, a CD player, passenger / driver seat height adjustment, a trip computer and electrically operated door mirrors. Peugeot has armed the 308 with a wide selection of technological curiosities to help it battle the family hatchback sector's big hitters. These continue under the bonnet, the 150bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged THP petrol engine in our test car being so advanced that BMW decided to use it for their MINI Cooper. It isn't the most frugal powerplant we could have chosen but an average return in our use of around 354mpg isn't too bad. Having a family has put safety several notches further up my priority list with a car of this type, so the 308's 5 star NCAP safety rating was a must if I was going to assign the 308 over to my wife Katie to transport our three young children on the school run. For this kind of work, the cabin needs to be easy to clean and most of all practical. One of the things that my wife most likes about the interior of the 308 is the vast number of storage pockets, luggage hooks and nets, slide out trays and cubbyholes. If you're carrying anything from a diamond dripping engagement ring to a 1.5-litre bottle of coke, you'll find somewhere secure to stow it - although the trick may be remembering exactly which pocket you put it in. For chocoholics like my daughter Ellie, the air-conditioned glove box keeps her Cadburys bar just as she would want to find it, rather than the sloppy mess that so often results. So should you buy one? Well, if you're after a mini-MPV, then probably not. As a compact, yet spacious estate car with the occasional ability to transport a couple of extra kids (or adults on short journeys), then the 308SW has plenty to be said for it. No other family hatchback-based estate car makes more sense.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Peugeot 308SW range
PRICES: £15,595-£20,845 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 6E-13E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 120-167g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6 HDi 110] 0-60mph 11.8s/ Max Speed 115mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6 HDi 110] (urban) 44.1mpg / (extra urban) 70.6mpg / (combined) 57.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: seven airbags / ABS and EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4500/1815/1555