Peugeot E-308 Facelift More Range Lower Price and a Stronger

Overview
What is it?

This is one of the most successful facelifts we've seen in a long time. Look, the Peugeot E-308 was launched with a very simple recipe: take one of the best parts of a 'normal car' in the business (a stock Peugeot 308), remove its engine, gearbox, and fuel tank, then replace them with a battery, motor, and charging port.

The resulting car is smooth and easy to drive. While it lacks the rapid acceleration of some EVs, it's smoother and more comfortable than most electric crossovers. We had some doubts about its price and range; the starting price of forty thousand seemed too high, while its range barely reached 250 miles. Its poor VFM proposition undermined a car that looked and felt good.

So what's new?

Both the 308 and E-308 have received a visual makeover, focusing – as expected – on new lights, wheels, and colors. Your standard facelift car. The older 308 features the latest-generation Peugeot 'shield' badge, and its replacement features a bright, vibrant look for the first time, while all alloy wheels follow the French firm's latest, unique design code. This means they often stand out from each other when parked, impressing other road users driving alongside you.

While these new colors are fresh shades of blue, this is a car that offers much more than the typical gray and black shown on the back of its brochure. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the design team's choices.

What's inside?

The E-308 remains unchanged; it features a conventional (almost) ICE car cabin, not a revolutionary new EV environment. However, the materials are plush and the ambiance is classy. It's a bit dark and moody.

The big changes are inside. The battery has increased from 51 to 55kWh (usable) – although this increase is due to a change in cell chemistry, not weight – which is enough to increase the claimed range from 254 to 279 miles on the WLTP cycle.

To help you get closer to this figure, there's a new adjustable brake region, with three different levels offered via paddleshifters behind the steering wheel. Two of our concerns about the old car have been addressed – and Peugeot has also improved the price.

How much is it?

Prices start at £30,995, including the UK government's latest Electric Car Grant. So, we've gone from a little over forty thousand to a little under thirty thousand for a more capable car. Winner.

It's also slightly faster, using the same 154bhp motor on the front axle, but this reduces its 0-62mph time by half a second, now 9.3 seconds. So it's no lo-fi hot hatchback, but Peugeot has been improving dynamically recently – and it handles well and offers a comfortable ride despite the thick 18-inch alloy wheels that come standard.

It's hardly light at around 1.7 tonnes, but it's not far behind the base 308 Hybrid in corners and is far more powerful than many taller, heavier electric SUVs on the market.

Who are its main competitors?

The E-308 is more popular than when it first launched. At the time, it competed with the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, the VW ID.3, and the powerful Cupra Borne, as well as Vauxhall's E-308 sister car, the Astra Electric. Now you have the Kia EV4, Citroën e-C4, Mini Aceman, Ford Puma Gen-E, Volvo EX30, MG 4, and MG S5 to consider. Plus, there's the very attractive Renault 4.

This Peugeot deliberately looks the same, with some chunky, funky shapes—but perhaps that's where its appeal lies. And aside from the powerful tunes of a Mini or Cupra, the e-308 could be the cleanest-handling car in its new class.

What's the verdict? "It's still nothing special, but an affordable family EV doesn't need to be."

A few years ago, we reviewed the outgoing E-308 this way: "It's not affordable, but it's good enough to make any self-respecting shortlist." With a price cut of ten thousand, a new government grant on top, and more range and regeneration from its powertrain, this updated version deserves to be high on that shortlist. Very much so.

It's unashamedly different from many other typical EVs selling at the same price – and therefore more welcoming to electric newbies. It looks, feels, and drives like a regular petrol hatch, but its range and charging are (almost) decent, along with a bit of performance that should be useful in everyday life. It's still nothing special, but an affordable family EV doesn't have to be.