After the specs leak that occurred yesterday, Peugeot has officially announced the all-new 308 GTi. Based on Europe's current car of the year, the 308 compact, they've created a GTi hot hatch by using a smaller engine than everybody else.
Under the bonnet of this Golf GTI rival is a 1.6-liter THP turbo engine. It's offered in two outputs, but even the base one packs 250 PS, which means it's got 30 PS more than the GTI. Peugeot also offers a performance version with 270 PS, which should be able to keep up with the Leon Cupra and Megane RS without any problems.
Both models have the same 330 Nm (244 lb-ft) of torque, sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. The standard model rides on 18-inch alloys while the 270 version gets 19-inch rims and grips its way through corners using a Torsen limited-slip differential.
As far as the design is concerned, the 308 GTI looks pretty much the same as the 308 R concept that they showed two years ago. Starting at the front, designers tweaked the headlights, installed a new bumper and played with the mesh of the grille. The suspension has also been lowered by 11 mm, and the red callipers indicate Peugeot Sport are behind the braking system.
Peugeot interiors are among the poshest in the business, and the 308 GTi's is a masterpiece. Fans of the hot hatch genre will appreciate the materials they used for the seats, which combine Alcantara with leather. The atmosphere is sober but also sporty, thanks to red accents scattered around the dash.
The company's familiar gigantic gearshift knob will help you row the gears. We liked the way it felt in our hands when we tested the 308, but the bad news is there's no manual handbrake here. That's probably our only niggle with a car that will surely bring something different to the segment.
Sales of the new Peugeot 308 GTi will commence sometime this fall after the Goodwood Festival of Speed. With the awesome two-tone paint, black wheels and the most expensive interior features, we expect it to cost about €40,000.
Update: Peugeot has released pricing information in Britain. The308 GTi 250 by is priced from £26,555 MRRP with 308 GTi 270from £28,155 MRRP, both vehicles will be available to order soon.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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