Peugeot 308 GT: 175 PS 3-door hatch tested!
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With the arrival of the Peugeot 308 GT last year on Malaysian shores, Malaysians now have a cheaper way to enter the world of European turbocharged hot hatch motoring.
The MINI Cooper S is a bloody fun car to drive and many will be looking at the 308 GT as a cheaper way (RM159,999) to experience something close to the Cooper S. This is because the Cooper S and the Peugeot 308 GT share the same engine. It’s also way more practical in the sense that the 308 can seat 4 comfortably while the Cooper’s rear seats aren’t a very nice place to be in.
The 1.6 liter Prince engine with direct injection and a single twin scroll turbocharger, producing 175 horsepower and 240Nm of torque from just 1,500rpm. That’s a full 25 horses and 40Nm less than the Golf GTI, but surely the 6-speed manual will make up for it in terms of driving experience?
Find out my thoughts on the 308 GT after the jump.
The exterior design of the 308 is pure Peugeot. It’s a hit or miss thing because of its rather unorthodox looks. Many people are used to a more conventional face on their car. The 308 has a completely unique feline look with large headlamps that sweep far backwards. Look at the 308 from the side and the headlamps actually extend behind half the length of the front bonnet. And then you have the Peugeot badge on the nose – there’s no separation between the radiator grille and the lower bumper grille – it is just one large grille with a thick brace through the middle.
From the side you get a sleek 3-door profile which looks way better than the more practical 5-door. The doors are not frameless though, which would have added a nice touch, but it’s not something you miss. The large 18 inch wheels suit the car in the sense that they do not leave you wanting for something bigger, you might get the urge to slam the car lower though.
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The car has a nice rear end though far from as radical as the front and, and I find that it’s pretty odd Peugeot decided to keep the car’s exhaust tail pipes hidden when this is a sporty model. Malaysian Peugeot distributors Nasim probably agree with me as say they are working on a bodykit that includes some visible tail pipes at the rear.
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The driver’s seat is a very nice place to be. In front of you are some of the best-designed instrument clusters around. The dials have a white face with a red needle and the individual gauges have a classy chrome ring surrounding them. At night, the dials light up in entirety instead of just the numbers being backlit.
If I were to be fussy, perhaps having the speedo and RPM needles start from the 6 o clock position would make them seem sportier, but if that were the case it would not be possible to fit the various indicators, clock and odometer in the 5 to 7 o clock area of the two main dials.
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Between the two main dials is a little red multi-info display with various information such as fuel consumption and above that are two little dials that show the fuel gauge and most importantly the temperature, something that is slowly disappearing from alot of modern cars.
The rest of the interior is also nice, with a soft touch dashboard and a decent feel to the various controls. It’s all very classy somehow. The dash leans towards the front of the car and ends near the windscreen with a little LCD display that displays various in-car entertainment details, including a graphical display of the front and rear proximity sensors that shows how close you are to objects near you. You can also access various configuration settings of the car from this display, such as follow me home lights timing, auto-door lock and etc.
Also, notice the CD changer? It isn’t really a “changer” per say, there are dedicated slots for each CD! Looks kinda like an air cond vent to me at first. There is also the JBL Hi-Fi system. The audio controls are mounted on a separate stalk and that needs getting used to a little at first but it was a quick learning experience for me. Steering wheel looks a little bland though.
That aside, somehow everything just seems to have some kind of nice flair about it which invokes a happy feeling, like this car wasn’t just made to make money but to please the owner too. The cabin feels very airy and nice thanks to the massive panoramic moonroof, which can be covered up with a shade in case you’re driving in too hot a day.
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And now to the driving. After all, isn’t that what one would have in mind when one buys a turbocharged hatchback with a manual transmission? Well for one the 308 GT definitely does not feel as fast as the Cooper S. As you row through the gears there is a massive push when you start off because of the turbocharger’s 240Nm of torque kicking in so early but the engine somehow goes a little out of breath towards the upper edges of the redline, like the kind of torque curve best mated to an automatic.
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The shift knob feels nice in your palm and the gears click in nicely though I wouldn’t call it one of the best slick-feeling shifters I’ve ever used. The clutch is set way too high with a short range of travel. This combined with a snappy accelerator pedal means it will be a tad frustrating to drive the 308 GT smoothly at first, but this is something you’ll hopefully get used to. There is also no foot rest.
The ride is a little firm but still pliant. There’s lots of grip afforded by the very nice 18 inch Pirelli tyres, and the steering tightens up at high speeds to provide the driver more precise control over the steering angle.
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Open the rear hatch and you get access to a pretty deep boot but it’s not very tall. The headlamps are a real dream to drive with at night, they are so bright and clear and a passenger actually commented that they might be a little too bright and was afraid we were offending oncoming drivers.
On the interior the front seats are decently sized and they fit my big bulk quite nicely. It doesn’t have super aggressive semi-bucket-like side bolsters. Most importantly they look reasonably upmarket, along with the rest of the interior, which is really a nice place to be in. The rear seats will fit 2 comfortably (see legroom and headroom shot).
I feel Peugeot tried a little too hard to appeal to too wide a spectrum of customers with the 308 GT. They should have left that job to something like the Turbo. Despite 3 doors and a 6-speed manual the car somehow still feels a little too soft. Like it doesn’t have enough hot hatch DNA. Or is that a job that Peugeot delegated to the 207 GTI? Is a 308 GTI coming later?
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But it is because of all the soft edges that makes the 308 GT a practical enough yet fun car to be used everyday, even if you regularly have to take in rear passengers. The interior is far from cramped, the ride is pliant enough and operating the front passenger seat to allow access to the rear bench is not cumbersome. Heck, the huge moonroof makes the interior such a nice place to ride in that I’d pick hitching a ride in this car over a sedan in the same segment anytime, if its not a very long journey!
It’s a decent daily or weekend car to have, especially with the potential tweaking that can be done to that turbo engine. On top of the base price of RM159,999, potentially over 200 horses could be unleashed if you spend a little money.
Only problem is if you spend that kind of money to solve its imperfections to suit your needs will it push the overall cost to that of a pre-registered Golf GTI?
May 26, 2009 @ 3:44 am
308 rocks! i had decided for the 308THP, good enuf for me.. best for both world.. everyday use plus a little bit wild when needed ~ spacious,safety,gorgeous,sporty = 308
May 26, 2009 @ 6:03 am
Any test drive for 308THP and 308vvt?
May 26, 2009 @ 6:18 am
m… last year I personally go to the showroom to see this nice car, but after trying to sit on it, not really practical.
The back seat is just for show, not suitable for adult.
Think about it, the pricing at 160K is just too close to preregistered Golf GTi, I wish they can lower it. From what I see, it only worth $135K ~ $140K…
Golf GTi on the other hand is more refine and value for money, just too bad the price is considered too high for most Malaysian.
May 26, 2009 @ 7:32 am
what is the PRICE??!! you forgot to mention the most important detailed.
May 26, 2009 @ 7:34 am
*detail. sorry.
May 26, 2009 @ 7:42 am
NICE CAR! Good for young executive..
May 26, 2009 @ 7:43 am
a moonfoof?…
maybe in france…
here more like human-baked roof..!
May 26, 2009 @ 8:06 am
owh i found the price! is it the same with the one u posted before?
http://paultan.org/archives/2009/01/29/peugeot-308-vti-turbo-ckd-malaysia/
May 26, 2009 @ 8:26 am
Paul;
Please do compare the VTi vs 308 Turbo THP vs Focus vs Civic 1.8S in term of OWNERSHIP; to be precise-power, FC, parts price and maintenance for the first three years if not longer.
I test drove the Turbo in Kemaman few days ago and so impressive for that price though more affordable 1.6VTi maybe targeted to be more mass than turbo-ed sibling. RM96k for the French car can save about RM24k compared to CBU 307 with less dramatic engine as the newest 308 share Prince engine with MINI Cooper (not One).
Hopefully Nasim can convert more buyers if their cars really affordable to purchase and maintain. Price-wise is cheaper than poorly featured Japanese counterparts though we’ve no idea about the real life maintenance. According to my friend, her Naza 206 doesn’t cost her an arm and legs so far, especially with 10000 service interval though l’m very much OK with my Japanese ride even though nowhere compare the ride and handling with the French despite of close price gaps.
Thank you Paul and Nasim, both deserved credit for bring affordable French relationship (in initial price at least). Many skeptics will get rid their doubt THOUGH that’s not the end only the beginning of their love or loathe with French WAG. Doing a Honda, displayed the maintenance service schedule and reasonable price parts as well as having more 3S is a PLUS point for NASIM-Peugeot. A newly open 3S in Kemaman is smart move for all.
May 26, 2009 @ 8:34 am
If I have to chose, I’ll stick with pre-registered Golf. Capable of beating Type R and have all the necessary gadget in M3. Best of both world.
May 26, 2009 @ 8:37 am
Paul, No night shot pictures???
May 26, 2009 @ 8:39 am
Wow. A panoramic roof. nice one. By the way we have one thing to be learn from this. Even big cats are sharing their engine development to cut cost. how about those small fry? Still willing to develop own engine and took forever to break even?
May 26, 2009 @ 8:39 am
scottleloeb – don’t think the pre-reg golf can beat a type-r (both in stock form) unless you mean for comfort.
this is a pretty good value for money performer. the equipment list is decent. but mods are expensive!
May 26, 2009 @ 9:14 am
u guys shud try this 308GT!!it is much much much much fun compare to 308turbo!with manual gearbox,u can feel the car lifted up!
May 26, 2009 @ 9:33 am
i think this car is not for modders. probably best suited for those who prefer stock performance – less worry with warranty and also reliability and serviceability in the longer term.
May 26, 2009 @ 9:35 am
Sexy car…. with full glass roof. Drive at nite much nicer.
May 26, 2009 @ 9:59 am
WRC 308! nice plate number on a nice car!
May 26, 2009 @ 10:14 am
[quote comment="241296"]scottleloeb – don’t think the pre-reg golf can beat a type-r (both in stock form) unless you mean for comfort.
this is a pretty good value for money performer. the equipment list is decent. but mods are expensive![/quote]
the horses is up for Type R (by 10-20 horse) but the torque is definitely GTI – 280 Nm at 2000 rpm – character of turbo, just like 308GT + the DSG which is very slick. If we are talking about 1.6 FSi then the 1.8 single cam is much better (with extra boot hehe)
May 26, 2009 @ 10:17 am
Love the roof!!!
May 26, 2009 @ 10:36 am
yeah the roof cam menarik.. tunggu laa buah kelapa jatuh atas tuuuuuuuu hehehehe
May 26, 2009 @ 10:42 am
Paul,
Please advice and enlighten us about cost of ownership of PUG since Nasim took over. If the cost is slightly dearer than Japanese I’d like to have this beauty. Perhaps, Nasim should follow Honda, display their car’s maintenance costs.
Displaying spare parts also good as according to my friend, she has no problem of high cost for Naza 206.
Thank you in advance dude.
May 26, 2009 @ 10:49 am
[quote comment="241295"]Wow. A panoramic roof. nice one. By the way we have one thing to be learn from this. Even big cats are sharing their engine development to cut cost. how about those small fry? Still willing to develop own engine and took forever to break even?[/quote]
i am not totally disagree wit u, but, if the small fry joining the sharing without any proven job, i think it will be more like buying than sharing….
before the big cat willing to joint-develop the engine, the small one must show that they are actually capable of what the big cats doing… so, there will be a mutual respect on both side- win-win situation rather than boss-worker relation…
just my 2cents…
May 26, 2009 @ 10:59 am
how much is this baby?
May 26, 2009 @ 11:03 am
thats a nice frenchy…….hope to see 1 loaded on the road soon….big 18 or 19 wheel bodykit and kick @rse performance…..its always nice to see many conti cars on the road…..160k is not too bad…..Proton…bila nak cps R3 TURBO??? hahaha…..
but really, the 308, if u drive it around your neighbourhood or saturday night pub crawl, its like out of 10ppl, 8 will glance and wonder wat car it is…especially ladies……u know wat i mean……
May 26, 2009 @ 11:10 am
Very nice review
Somehow your writing on the driving experience kinda mixed up when you turn the point back to the boot. Should’ve clear all the exterior & interior + headlamp first, then all out on the driving part, and closing with your nice verdict.
Kinda not satisfied with the driving experience in detail but that’ll do. Thx
May 26, 2009 @ 11:46 am
nice car but since naza is the distributor, i’ll just have to forget it. had a very very bad experience with all their service center and their warranty claim. haii….wait for them to check my car n only to tell me that i had to claim warranty after having their 2hrs lunch, somemore no one even called me since i’ve made a claim since 2006.
May 26, 2009 @ 12:19 pm
[quote comment="241335"]nice car but since naza is the distributor, i’ll just have to forget it. had a very very bad experience with all their service center and their warranty claim. haii….wait for them to check my car n only to tell me that i had to claim warranty after having their 2hrs lunch, somemore no one even called me since i’ve made a claim since 2006.[/quote]
That was terrible man, you didnt complain to HQ??
May 26, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
Any one know how much is the weight for all 308 variants?? I cant find this info
May 26, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
Paul, where’s the Golf Estate story?
May 26, 2009 @ 12:34 pm
DUDES! i dunno whether u guys noticed the hand brake looks like a sagging loin. haha!
May 26, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
integra ,accord etc type R no doublt is worth compare to this car .( same price) , but civic fd type r is more exp rm200,000/
0-100kmh also sure win.
May 26, 2009 @ 1:12 pm
In any case I think its very refreshing to see a high-spec car offered for just RM160k. We’ve been having to buy empty-ish Japanese cars for a very long time.
May 26, 2009 @ 1:23 pm
[quote comment="241346"]In any case I think its very refreshing to see a high-spec car offered for just RM160k. We’ve been having to buy empty-ish Japanese cars for a very long time.[/quote]
“empty-ish Japanese cars” ~ I totally agree!!
May 26, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
one thing here, I really dun like peugeot Door closing sound, it’s very Loud! did anyone notice this??
May 26, 2009 @ 1:34 pm
[quote comment="241353"]one thing here, I really dun like peugeot Door closing sound, it’s very Loud! did anyone notice this??[/quote]
you’re not supposed to slam the doors as in a japanese car. a gentle shove will do. japanese cars have lots or rubber to make u believe that their doors are as solid as the european doors.
May 26, 2009 @ 1:49 pm
[quote comment="241318"][quote comment="241296"]scottleloeb – don’t think the pre-reg golf can beat a type-r (both in stock form) unless you mean for comfort.
this is a pretty good value for money performer. the equipment list is decent. but mods are expensive![/quote]
the horses is up for Type R (by 10-20 horse) but the torque is definitely GTI – 280 Nm at 2000 rpm – character of turbo, just like 308GT + the DSG which is very slick. If we are talking about 1.6 FSi then the 1.8 single cam is much better (with extra boot hehe)[/quote]
CTR with stock final drive ratio almost race spec-ish can even keep up the pace of R34 GTR. Stg 1 Golf GTI can only keep up with it (barely). Figures doesn’t tell the whole story at the end of the day
May 26, 2009 @ 1:53 pm
[quote comment="241353"]one thing here, I really dun like peugeot Door closing sound, it’s very Loud! did anyone notice this??[/quote]
Only thing l’m not pleased in 308, simply LOUD.
May 26, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
the look is so so.. bored, sorry, in my eye.. maybe i just think it was about Naza
interior so so.. exterior so so.. not have any wow factor.
but luckily that was a wow engine and..
superwow! for 6th gear.
but this car still look bring in my eyes..
May 26, 2009 @ 5:38 pm
typo!
but this car still look boring in my eyes..
May 26, 2009 @ 6:27 pm
i stared the design carefully.. what type of concept they use.. is it from animal… yeah i found it..
Exterior Design look kinda … a Frog..
PiGeo Froggy..
Interior superb!!
Dont like:
1. RPM meter,speedometer…..why use old techology? just use totally digital better, drive by wire!!
2.handbrake look like.. joystick..
like most.
1. WRC 308, nice number..
Rating
——
interior 4/5
exterior 4.12/5
go PiGeo Froggy.. go…
May 26, 2009 @ 6:55 pm
Paul, can I suggest you place star rankings at the end of your review? Or are you reluctant to do that due to relationship with car manufacturers? Give a bmw 1 star, and you will never ride BMW again:P
May 26, 2009 @ 6:57 pm
The other alternative is to buy a 2nd hand Mk5 Golf GTi, they should cost around that price as well
May 26, 2009 @ 7:15 pm
Imagine Volkswagen Malaysia follow the same route taken by NAZA, make affordable car. Previous 208 RM118k, now RM96k. Golf RM160k now RM120k.
Government should allow more competition from European marque through more competitive pricing like Peugeot otherwise not many will buy European.
Golf 1.4TSi next, or need to wait Naza take over from Euromobile?
May 26, 2009 @ 7:33 pm
Volkswagen Scirocco…Volkswagen Scirocco…Volkswagen Scirocco…
When will you come to bolehland.. plez la..
Volkswagen Scirocco…Volkswagen Scirocco…Volkswagen Scirocco…
May 26, 2009 @ 8:08 pm
[quote comment="241393"]Paul, can I suggest you place star rankings at the end of your review? Or are you reluctant to do that due to relationship with car manufacturers? Give a bmw 1 star, and you will never ride BMW again:P[/quote]
I feel it is not the time to do that because I am not established enough to be able to gain access to all test drive cars from every company (maybe to them online readership is much less valuable than a magazine’s), so I have limited scope to experiencing what is 1 star and what is 5 star. Not sure if you get what I mean. What if because of my limited experience I give something 5 stars and later find that there is something even better than the 5 star car… then suddenly add a 6th star? That would be weird.
BTW it so happens that the situation you described won’t happen because I bought an old 3rd-hand BMW so I can drive it everyday
May 26, 2009 @ 8:58 pm
sweet thing!!!!
too bad it comes with manual only….
May 26, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
that moonroof is sweet. but if i were to buy it, i would go for the base version. more affordable.
this one here is stepping abit into golf terrority. and with the new golf and scirocco lauching soon, expect 2nd hand unit price of golf gti’s to drop.
get your downpayments ready!
May 26, 2009 @ 10:25 pm
No driver-side footrest? What the hell were they thinking???
May 27, 2009 @ 12:54 am
yes. new batch of 308THP does come with the breath-taking Moon roof! i’m getting it
May 27, 2009 @ 10:53 am
By the way… when will your detail test drive report of the Exora will come out?
May 27, 2009 @ 11:21 pm
Not bad at all, full featured but kind of pricey.. like that roof glass..
May 28, 2009 @ 1:22 am
Paul,
RM 160k for this segment of car were sightly pricey but with my opinion it gives you more than good power to weight ratio ride but packed with essentials stuff like audio and the ‘romantic’ moonroof. But some might think again to sign up for the Mk.5 Golf instead of this.
May 28, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
Hi,
RM160K for a fully-imported GT with tons of kits (that PT didn’t managed to give good detail insight), classy executed, warm turbo engine, rich in practicality (for a 3-doors) with more than adequate performance shouldn’t be classified as slightly price. its fairly price, fair asking by Nasim. if its rm10K less, then its quite cheap. Rm160K is what you almost need to fork out to buy a 138bhp 206GTi with 2.0L N/A engine back in 2003. Beside name three (3) fully imported warm hatches (e.g. 160bhp n above) that we can buy in M’sia with RM160K that have full warranty and backing by its manufacturers?
I dont think Nasim targeted to make a handsome profit out of the 308GT. This is obviously a ‘halo’ model, just to attract people attention to the 308 model in general (almost all who like it will end up buying the more sensible 308 turbo or affordable vti). That why Nasim is having a ‘nice’ problem when the 308Turbo waiting list stretch to up to 4 months(?), with growing numbers of disillusioned buyers moaning about it almost endlessly – go read Pug AW forum.
Comparing apple-to-apple, the extra RM40K+ that you had to fork out to get a CTR, Megane/Clio 197 or Golf GTI (easily bubble to RM50K+ when compound interest is taking into consideration) is somewhat not really is fair value for the extra umphh than you’ll get from all three (the Megane 197 is a little pricey). RM40K+ is not small sum of money. So 308 GT is placing itself slightly more than fair n square in the GT category, never it claimed itself as a direct competitor of GTi or Type-R kinda of car.
Want to see a hotter 308? Wait for the up n coming 308RCZ. same engine, with 218 bhp. but its a 2+2 coupe… and Nasim seem to be willing to bring it in, when its available. And if Peugeot release a proper 308 ‘GTi’ with that engine too, only then we can speak of the 308, Golf GTI and CTR in the same breath. But i doubt they’ll do it. want a Pug GTi? .. 207GTi is the only choice, so far.
Coming back to the GT, from all 3 hot hatchs above, perhaps only the Golf GTI able to match the kits you’ll get with the 308GT. Of course the Golf is the benchmark in build quality (but i’m just focusing about level of kits here). The rest is rather ‘empty’, relying purely on performance as bait to lure potential suitors.
Therefore, for me, the 308GT appeal to anyone who couldn’t afford a RM200k hot hatch or want such a high performance-oriented hatch (sedan in case of CTR), but find RM160K warm hatch (i.e. 308GT) suffice, within their budget range and would want a car that is perfectly normal for every day use.
If you want the ’superst’ and can afford a RM200K hot hatch, of course, by all means go for CTR, Golf GTI or the Renault. Because having the fastest car is everything for you. The rest can think later.
If second hand Mk.V Golf is preferred due to close proximity of the cost, buying second hand always had its own disadvantage, as maintenance of a RM200K car can be outlandish, more so with hot hatch as it is surely have been frequently trashing by its early owner(s). The probability of secondhand owners to pick up first owner maintenance bills could be higher than normal sedate second hand car.
I am a little perplex by this article as PT don’t really put his comments on the 308GT performance & handling. It is as if PT done a rather short test drive thus have no in depth feedback to share or perhaps find it not up to a GT standard at all.. but decided to be nice to Nasim and choose to be silent. I don’t know. But i surely do appreciate more feedback since its the most powerful Peugeot available in M’sia for quite some time. Even the 405GTi or Mi-16 couldn’t match it outright power. Beside we have more than enuff of journalism over CTR, Golf GTI, Megane 10 97/R26, Evo, Scooby etc, sometime it is nice to hear about others too, especially when it is officially available here in Bolehland.
May 28, 2009 @ 5:36 pm
perhaps if you can give a better insight on the amount of kit, you are welcome to do so in the comments for the benefit of all readers/consumers.
i do not see why you missed my comments on the car’s performance in the story. i’ve already said rowing through the gears somehow feels lacking… and as for handling, maybe you are used to other kinds of stories and expecting more insight on the handling… i am not the type to go on and on about how the car behaves at its extremities because i never push test cars that hard, don’t want to end up in a ditch. where am i supposed to drive like that safely anyway? i got the car on thursday to saturday i think… returned it on saturday morning, so i did not have a chance to try out some nice far away roads because it is hard to get away during week days. i think the 308 gt has a very nice balance between a slightly firmer ride to remind you that you’re in a slightly performance-oriented car but the ride remains quite pliant on crappy malaysian roads. it’s a nice balance that i would like to try to achieve on my old 5er. i also like how the steering weights up by itself nicely at high speeds to give the driver abit more confidence – i hate the ultra light steerings in Japanese cars. but i really did not push the car any further to be able to judge anything beyond this. i know nasim uses WRC 308 for alot of sales activities so I think they would be pissed off if i put it out of commission for awhile!
May 29, 2009 @ 12:18 am
This is a CBU (fully imported) from France and it’s very surprising that of the price, but it’s a good move to shake the auto industry, bring more competitiveness. Check our neighbour country how much is the “normal” Peugeot 308 fares against other models.
Anyway, this GT comes packed with features; Imagine the owners who bought the normal spec 206GTi (smaller car, only 138bhp) at around RM150K last time! This 308 GT has so many quality stuffs, check out the JBL Speakers, the “Directional” Headlights (it can turn left or right according to your steering), Moonroof, etc. All these are not cheap stuff but comes with the car in a package at such price. Paul Tan also didn’t take any pictures of the MFD, it’s colour screen which is something many “normal” car owners don’t see everyday, not to mentioned the usual MFD available in european cars is already something “new” to many “normal” car owners. Check out the VTI MFD, and the features it has, then check out the THP with more powerful and detailed MFD, then check out the 308 GT with COLOUR SCREEN MFD and with additional features. It’s like when we switch from a non-colour screen handphone to coloured screen, and later smart-phone and so on. As we “upgrade”, our demand increases and it’s hard to look back.
Anyway, the car is rich in features and it’s very nice to have, but of course, some people prefer raw power or purely performance and less electronics, then it simply not a car for those people and no point telling others that he/she is not interested or rather buy xxx car as if everyone wants to know. I think interested people/buyer would want to find out more about the car, rather than reading through comments that are not contributing or talk about how someone prefer to buy another car.
Lastly, I totally agree with Paul Tan on the clutch, it’s very high and it can delay your shifting time and not-smooth gear change, but actually you don’t have to press fully. I was told by one of the previous SC Manager the clutch can be adjusted, while when I googled around, I come across “Clutch Stopper” from Scooby and BMW forums. But the gears slide it smoothly though, compared to the older Peugeot models, it’s consider a big improvements; except the clutch are still the same. Another nice thing is the steering and the gear, they look great, sturdy, feels great and nice to hold/grip. The meters are actually pretty nice in the night as I read some comment which hasn’t seen the real thing but judging plainly on the description.
I guess Paul Tan could’ve take more pictures or probably even better videos. But nonetheless, it’s still a job well done. If the readers are really interested, they would’ve automatically googled for more information or watch some videos from YouTube anyway.
June 1, 2009 @ 9:31 am
PT,
i wished not to list .. it is quite a long list. Beside, andy214 has sort of did it. Perhaps readers will find it out on their own if it is in their interests.
And on the ride n handling portion, as a reader, i was expecting something more from an independent reviewer. Beside i am quite positive a Golf GTI Mk VI, Megane R26, CTR or other hot hatches test drive will generate beefier paragraphs about these two aspects. The test feedback here is unfortunately rather short which disappoint, as i believe this is one of the outstanding value-for-money, best-priced warm/hot hatches around.
Until you consider its lesser sibling, another warm hatch, the 308 Turbo.
June 1, 2009 @ 9:44 am
I believe the feedback given is enough, given the fact that I was given the car over weekdays where I am not free to drive it around much. It is not easy spending enough time with a car when you are running multiple jobs to survive in these bad times. Requesting for weekend time is hard because from my experience, the management are not very interested in coverage from this site, they are more interested in the newspapers. It is as if to them 20 online readers are equal to 1 newspaper reader. And they mentioned the cars are used by the sales dept during the weekends.
As for handling, perhaps the car is simply not exciting enough to spark much say about it. Nicely balanced and accurate yes but steering is devoid of feel and honestly that is really all there is to say, or at least what I found I could say. Yes the level of equipment makes the car amazing value for money but I think perhaps you are expecting it to be showered with too much praise. I have a feeling the 308 Turbo will be more impressive to me taking into account equipment, experience and price point but unfortunately no chance yet.
June 1, 2009 @ 11:44 am
okay.. think there is a little ‘misunderstanding’ there .. just want to hear feedback from independent reviewer about the R&H and don’t mind whatever, so long its true. and am not expecting it to be showered with too much praise in the R&H department. from what i heard elsewhere, in fact it shouldn’t get too much praise. just want some more bits and details (if any) from other source. look like the short duration with the car doesn’t help.
ok PT, hope made myself clear. don’t take my feedback in the negative way. most probably, i’m asking too much anyway. And due thanks for the additional inputs in your last comment.
Have a nice monday…
June 2, 2009 @ 12:22 pm
paul, i hope for more in-depth coverage for this interesting warm hatch, as many other hoped too.
June 2, 2009 @ 1:27 pm
assembled in kedah.
there’s no such thing as a good deal in malaysia.
June 2, 2009 @ 1:38 pm
assembled in kedah
June 7, 2009 @ 11:56 am
[quote comment="242881"]assembled in kedah[/quote]
did u even read?
this 308GT is CBU from France.
308VTI and 308THP are assembled in Kedah.
get your facts right.
Have a nice day!
June 9, 2009 @ 5:10 pm
gosh still got ppl responding in this thread!
hahahahaha
June 10, 2009 @ 9:49 am
mesti got lah!
its quite an interestng car… very interesting if the price is deem right by potential buyers.
but i heard Nasim will not take a 2nd batch of the 308GT to Bolehland?
So when the 1st batch finish, which i heard is no more than 15 units, then that about it? No more 308GT?
June 15, 2009 @ 8:50 pm
Interesting….
Intermilan, heard there is only 10 units in Malaysia. Not many left.
June 17, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
no more 308 gt after the 10 units. alan’s car will become collector’s item!
June 18, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
Lowpro, wow… damn lucky then!!
July 17, 2009 @ 5:29 pm
My DReam Car…Now I driving 206… Good Car…I Plan To Change To 308 After Five Years.
July 21, 2009 @ 5:20 am
Whats with the protruding backside, and the visibly ugly 6 cd slots?
July 22, 2009 @ 4:16 am
Was looking for a car for my kids but after a test drive, I bought the 308Turbo (A) with panaromic roof for Rm113888. Have been driving big SUVs and cars for so long and this hot hatch is really a wif of fresh air and I am enjoying the car during the weekends (need to borrow from the kids tho). This car comes equipped with everything including rear air vent, ipod connetor, 17″ rims except navigation/ bluetooth for phone. The 3 year warranty will give me a peace of mind. Now must find out how to up the boost.
September 9, 2009 @ 8:31 am
Hi there, can anyone tell me the part number for the JBL speaker kit, specifically looking for the sub-woofer as I already have RT4 HDD system/satnav. Cheers.
October 1, 2009 @ 9:16 pm
308GT – same engine ? but with 6-speed.. but 50K more.. ?
hmm..
1.8T will be nice though..169K oso can
October 26, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
CK, same engine with different output. even RCZ also using the same engine and with the same capacity but with 200++ hp
November 18, 2009 @ 6:46 pm
Anybody knows that how much it cost for the car plate number 308 in KL ?
November 20, 2009 @ 3:37 pm
Joey, depends on the bid… and demand…. maybe RM 500 or more…
November 20, 2009 @ 9:19 pm
Hi Alan , I have ask around recently .. I think the price is about rm 500 to rm700.