Geneva show: Peugeot shows off 308 SW

PEUGEOT has revealed the load-lugging version of its 308 small car contender ahead of an official international debut at the Geneva motor show in March.

The SW (station wagon) is a complete redesign and carries the same front-end styling as the 308 hatch on which it is based, while the rear maintains similar styling to its shorter twin.

Measuring 4580mm long, the new-generation wagon is 80mm longer then the current model, and with its sleeker profile is 94mm lower at 1470mm.

The French car-maker claims “class-leading” load space in the 308 SW with a 610-litre cargo capacity, although this appears to be less than the current-generation 308 Touring which can carry up to 674 litres.

It is more capacious than the Volkswagen Golf Wagon which sells in Australia in Golf Mk VI guise and has a cargo capacity of 505 litres, while Renault’s recently released Megane wagon can take up to 524 litres of storage.

Peugeot says the 308 has a flexible cabin thanks to rear seats that can be folded via a button in the boot, and a flat cargo area.

It also says the quality of the cabin is worthy of “the next category up”, hinting at the French car-maker’s aspirations to be seen as a higher end brand.

Built on PSA’s Efficient Modular Platform (EMP2) that also underpins the new Citroen C4 Picasso, the 308 SW is 140kg lighter than the model it is replacing.

The French brand is yet to release specific powertrain details but said the Euro 6-compliant petrol and diesel units will feature outstanding performance, with the BlueHDi version emitting 85g/km of CO2, which Peugeot says sets a new benchmark for the segment.

The front of the cabin will mirror the high-tech i-Cockpit design of the 308 hatch with a large touch-screen and chrome highlights throughout.

While Peugeot’s local distributor Sime Darby is yet to confirm whether the 308 SW will go on sale in Australia, the existence of the current-generation wagon means there is a good chance we will see the stretched version at some point later this year.

The 308 hatch is scheduled to go on sale locally around March this year, replacing the aging model that was launched in early 2008.

Peugeot sold 602 308s in Australia last year, a 38 per cent drop over 2012.

Small station wagons are experiencing a minor resurgence in Australian, with Volkswagen and Renault offering wagon versions of the Golf and Megane, while Hyundai sells a Czech-built wagon based on its top-selling i30 hatch.