|
living:
autocade
 Peugeot 308 SW—it's in the details
The Peugeot 308 SW HDI is fussy and French, but it’s still the best
in its class, says Jack Yan
photographed by the author
AS I WAITED
for Rebecca Joyce at Peugeot
to hand over the keys to the 308 SW,
I checked out a 308 berline in the showroom. I had owned
a 307 many years back, and always liked its exterior design, even
if I felt it was a little underpowered. The 308, which is on a heavily
revised version of the 307 platform, seemed overornamented, like
clothing that had just that little too much accessorizing.
The mess begins around the A-pillar, which has
a huge intersection of shut lines and contours. If there’s one thing
that’s distracting about the shape of cars as the decade closes,
it’s some of the unnecessary fussiness that can be found. And right
now, the French are being fussier than most.
However, the SW
seems to be less irritating. While the front end is shared with
the berline, the rest of the car seems better balanced. Perhaps
it’s the waistline that’s allowed a more natural terminal, further
back on the car. The extra length seems to help the 308 SW.
Down back, the rear lights look like a gentle apple peel cascading
from the side to the rear. The wraparound rear window, which normally
would annoy me (as it does on something like the Renault Val Satis)
is more curved. And the Peugeot lettering is spaced out across the
chrome on the tailgate, feeling more proud than it has been for
years.
Normally I would have made some analogy about
the Peugeot’s role in society by now, or some crack about Lt Columbo’s
old 203 cabriolet, but it’s the details that count for a car that
is competent but not exciting. While Pugs of the 1980s were geared
to the enthusiastic driver, the late 1990s and on have seen the
French company aim more for comfort. There’s nothing wrong with
the change in philosophy, but it means that those of us who drive
for pleasure need to find it in other things, if we aren’t getting
it behind the wheel.
Think of it as dating someone who’s not too bright.
If you were to enjoy her company publicly, she had better have something
else apart from the mental department, never mind how she might
be in the bedroom. This is the 308 SW.
It drives well, but if you wanted get up and go,
the Mégane II, its chief rival in France, would be a better
choice. (The argument is moot, since the wagon version of the II
was never sold in New Zealand, and it will shortly be replaced.)
The two-litre diesel is willing and it’s arguably the most refined
in its class that we’ve driven, but the gearing makes this a long-legged
cruiser. The Peugeot 308 SW could
feel more comfortable taking the role of the Kiwi family wagon than
one might think. It might be Focus-sized, but the way it can soak
up the longer journeys—bearing in mind it’s much too nice for the
rep market—in this day and age of greedy oil companies, who needs
a Commodore? Plus the 308 SW can seat
seven if needed. Forget the minivans. In 2009, bulk is not cool:
it’s about being big on the inside, small on the outside. This is
an era where Dr Who is cool.
The space idea extends to the interior, where
there’s plenty of height, and a windscreen that extends far to the
front—a great effect that I loved about the 307. In the back, the
308 SW is cavernous. And it’s details
galore again when it comes to the dashboard, with the instrument
binnacle poking out as though it were a segment of the Sydney Opera
House. Chrome accents delight, and this time, the SW
has it just right. (The old 307 felt a bit plain if you opted for
the entry-level models, and even my old HDI,
a mid-ranger, felt a little poor compared to the top models.)
This is a wagon that doesn’t have ideas above
its station but probably should. It’s far and above the Focuses
of this world. The Corolla is too narrow, limited by Japanese taxation
laws that has seen it keep the same width it had 15 years ago. So
it costs more, crossing the NZ$45,000
mark in New Zealand, but Peugeot has been too quiet about what is
probably the nicest car in its class.
As a single piece of design, the 308 SW
is not the prettiest. But take those items one by one, and it gives
pleasure in those indescribable little ways. •
Jack Yan is publisher of Lucire.
Add
to Del.icio.us | Digg
it | Add
to Facebook
|
Top: The 308 SW interior (photograph courtesy Peugeot). Above:
The Peugeot lettering, spaced out and looking prouder.
Think of it as dating someone who’s not too bright.
If you were to enjoy her company publicly, she had better have something
else apart from the mental department, never mind how she might
be in the bedroom
|
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
