Peugeot are good at making coupé convertibles – cars that can cleverly turn from being a hard-top coupé to a no-top convertible with the touch of a button. It’s a nack the company has had for some time, and for a while the cars Peugeot made have looked cute.
But when you think of a cute car you’re not exactly going to be thinking of a manly piece of machinery.
Well, the new Peugeot 308 CC is different. Sure, it’s not a Hummer but, equally, it’s not cute. Stylish yes, but cute? No.
When compared to the 307 CC, you’ve got a car that’s longer, wider and, well, meatier. Peugeot have been making ‘folding roof cars’ for a while now (since the 1930s, in fact) and with the 308 CC it shows. From the front there’s just the right amount of aggression in the grille, and in profile you’ve got a low, sharp wedge shape that gives the impression of a car that means business.
Impressive
I’ve always been a sucker for a good looking car but the rest of the people here in JOE Towers are a hard bunch to impress. They’re used to seeing a new car pull up in the car park each morning and may occasionally enquire with a shout as to which car I’m driving in a particular week. I shout back an answer, they nod in acknowledgment and then make their way indoors.
But here’s the thing: this week they’ve been coming over to me. They’ve been asking for lifts. They’ve been impressed by the surprisingly decent boot capacity – even when the roof is taking up half of the boot space. They’ve been nodding sagely as they’ve watched the roof of the 308 CC go through the complex-yet-smooth 20-second process of transforming from roofed to un-roofed vehicle.
Importantly they’ve been asking how much the car costs (€33,790) and they’ve wanted one. I’ve had to stop leaving my keys in full view on my desk just in case the temptation has got too much.
The bottom line is that the Peugeot 308CC is an eminently desirable motor. And that’s before you put the key in the ignition, put the sporty metal gear stick into first gear, release the elegantly angled gearstick and put your foot on the stripped-down metal accelerator pedal.
It’s once you’ve done this that the fun really begins.
That’s when you get a sense of the torque in the 1.6 litre HDi 112bhp engine and the smoothness of the six-speed gearbox. This is the first car to feature the replacement to the previous 110 bhp unit. The new diesel engine is more responsive and quieter than its predecessor, and it meets the requirements of the new Euro 5 CO2 emission standards.
It niftilly gets up to speed and has no problem making its way across the country by way of our ever-expanding motorway network. The stylish leather sports seats wrap around you and offer all the support you need as you chuck the car around the less travelled bits of Connemara or the winding roads of the Wicklow Hills (I’ve done a lot of driving in this car this week).
When the time comes to park up, you put the car into reverse and it makes a reassuringly confident ‘ping’ noise. How a ‘ping’ noise can be reassuring (beyond the fact that it lets you know the car is definitely in reverse) is hard to explain… it just is.
Gloss
Clearly I really like this car. And it’s because I really like this car so much that I’m willing to gloss over a few things that otherwise would otherwise count as small but annoying niggles.
Visibility when reversing isn’t brilliant… but the car features parking assist that helps make sure you don’t hit anything, so that’s ok. The back seats are full size as long as the people have legs of size-zero models… but what’s wrong with having models in the back of your car?
With the roof off and the windows down, it can quickly get windy enough in the cabin to have you eating your hair… but the heated seat and neck heater means that at least you’ll be warm. And you can always put the windows up. Besides, I don’t have any hair, so why should I care?
Then there’s what happens when you wind the window down (or rather, lower the window with a single flick of a switch) in a downpour. I found out exactly what happens when I needed to insert my ticket in the ticket machine at the barrier of the car park round the back of the Dundrum Tescos. In short I got drenched… but when did a little splash of water ever really harm anyone? It’s far more important that the car looks good (and clearly it does).
So there you have it. If you get one yourself you can expect to be driving a car that’s identical to the one I’ve been driving as the 308 CC has been launched here in Ireland with just the one trim specification: the Sport Pack. This spec includes heated leather seats, ASR traction control, an alarm, automatic lights & wipers, 17″ alloys, electric folding mirrors, aluminium pedals, bluetooth, remote boot opening, a rear parking aid system and front fog lights.
I’d buy this car. And if you’ve got 33 grand burning a hole in your pocket and you’d like a convertible that can masquerade as slightly sensible coupé (in that it has four seats and roof that won’t get slashed) I’d recommend you get down to your nearest dealer pronto. If you haven’t, you should start saving.
The lowdown
Car road tested: Peugeot 308 CC Sport Pack 1.6 HDi
0-100 km/h in 13.1 seconds
Top speed 190 km/h (where permitted)
VRT tax band B (€156 per year)
List price: €33,790
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