Peugeot 308 update, new 508 confirmed for Australia

PEUGEOT will give its slow selling 308 a shot in the arm in early 2018, giving the hatch range a minor exterior makeover that hides a raft of technical updates.

As well, it has confirmed that the large 508 sedan – not set for launch until next year – will be sold in Australia.

The 308 updates were previewed in Europe in July, and include minor exterior revisions to the bonnet and bumpers, as well as the addition of LED daytime running lamps across the range.

Under the skin, though, the entire wiring loom of the car has been replaced in order to equip the car with driver aid systems that will include advanced autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control and lane departure control.

As well, modifications to both the 1.2-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engines bring them into line with the more arduous Euro 6c standards, which have been issued in the wake of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal to force car-makers to more closely replicate stated fuel economy and emissions figures with real-world results.

An AdBlue urea additive system has been added to the diesels, while direct injection petrol engines also receive a particulate filter in addition to a three-level catalytic converter.

The company also previewed a new 1.5-litre diesel engine in the 308, but no details have been confirmed for Australia.

The engine modifications will be supplemented by an Aisin-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission that is set to replace the six-speed unit currently fitted to the car. No manuals are offered in Australia, except the self-shifting-only 308 GTi.

308 sales have dipped to an all-time low with the change of distributorship from Sime Darby to Inchcape, with just 80 registrations in June 2017. This compares to 153 sales in June last year.

Total sales of 415 for the first six months of the year are 45.5 per cent down over the same period in 2016.

Meanwhile, Peugeot has confirmed that the 508 sedan will be sold in Australia from next year. Staff from Peugeot Australia recently travelled to Sochaux in France to assess the yet-to-be-released 508 in disguised form.

Manager of Peugeot, Citroen and DS brand development for Australia Olivier Daurele confirmed that the sedan – which has sold just 12 units thus far in 2017 – would arrive in 2018.

A new petrol engine and Aisin eight-speed automatic transmission combination was also confirmed for the front-wheel-drive four-door, thought to be the 199kW 1.6-litre turbocharged engine as used in the 308 GTi.

To be built atop a lengthened version of the EMP2 platform, spy shots have revealed an interior not unlike the new 3008 SUV, with a joystick-style automatic shifter and the company’s i-Cockpit arrangement, which places the dashboard over the top of a smaller steering wheel.