Moving in the right direction
Credible rival to the best German small hatches
Brilliant engine, classy interior, good fit and finish 
Dated four-speed auto, firm low speed ride The new Peugeot 308 retains its French flair while mixing in Germanic build quality
By Justin Lee
FUSION CUISINE COMBINES elements of various foods from different cultures such as that of Chinese and French to come up with an eclectic dish like laksa pesto which offers a mish mash of flavours east and west. Some like the aforementioned taste great while others just completely miss the mark.
Taken in the context of the automotive world, manufacturers have been known to cull favourable qualities by studying the best in the business while retaining their own core attributes in their quest to create a car that will be a hit with the buying crowd.
The Germans seem to have set the standard when it comes to making cars. And the other car manufacturers of the world are in hot pursuit to equal or better them. Peugeot is no exception and the company’s latest offering shows a fervent desire by them to beat the Germans at their own game. Gone are the flimsy interior plastics and the cosseting ride quality with Teutonic solidity and firm suspension being the order of the day.
Exterior wise, the 308 looks like what a proper Peugeot would and loses none of the distinctive design details that have graced the brand’s current range of cars. The front is dominated by large tapered headlamps and a gaping maw of an air intake while the rear has a bustle back shape. It looks like an enlarged version of the 207 compact hatchback but the design when translated to the larger car has lost much of the perky chic-ness that made its smaller sibling a head turner. In fact, it looks a little bloated and bulbous from some angles.
