► Peugeot E-308 SW driven in the UK
► One of few electric estate cars on sale
► Polished and poised, but dubious value
Peugeot is looking to be one of the first mainstream car firms to offer an electric version of every car it sells. To fulfil that pledge, it’s looking to fill every niche, including an electric estate car with the E-308 SW.
It’s a segment many manufacturers have ignored until now, but given Peugeot’s long-running history of making vehicles of this type, and the fact the standard 308 SW is among the best estate cars you can buy, it makes perfect sense.
The Peugeot E-308 SW arrives with plenty of style, space and strong efficiency claims, but at more than £40,000, is pretty expensive next to cars like the MG5. But is it still worth considering?
Pros: very comfortable, big boot, high-quality interior
Cons: Average performance, silly prices
What’s new?
Compared with the regular E-308 hatchback, the SW estate grows 270mm in length to 4635mm. But rather than simply add this all onto the rear overhang, Peugeot has also extended the wheelbase by 55mm. The result is a seats-up 548 litres of boot space, rising to 1574 litres with the rear seats folded. That’s a useful increase over the 361-1367 litres available from the electric hatch.
It uses the latest Stellantis EV powertrain that’s doing the rounds, more on that later, and gains additional kit compared to standard 308 SWs – not least a useful heated steering wheel. Visually, though, there’s little to tell it apart from a normal model, but given it’s already among the best-looking estate cars you can buy, it’s not a bad thing.
What are the specs?
Compared to many rival EVs, the Peugeot E-308 SW’s performance figures look pretty uninspiring. The front-mounted motor generates 154bhp and 199lb-ft of torque, allowing a 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds and 106mph top speed. By electric car standards, that’s pretty slow.
You only get that full whack in Sport mode, too. As per Stellantis habit, Normal is knocked back to 134bhp / 184lb ft while Eco is further restricted to 107bhp / 162lb ft.
Range and charging
The advantage of such tame performance is efficiency, however. So while the Peugeot E-308 SW’s 54kWh battery is quite small for a car like this, Peugeot still claims 254 miles from a charge. You’ll have to drive with a featherweight right foot to see figures like those, but even in normal driving, this Peugeot is efficient, regularly returning more than 200 miles from a charge. It’s not a huge range, at least for anyone coming from a diesel 308 SW, but the range considering the battery size isn’t bad at all.
It also comes with an 11kW on-board AC charger and 100kW DC fast charging. According to Peugeot, the latter means you can go from 20 to 80 per cent battery in less than 25 minutes using a suitably rapid public charger.
How does it drive?
It’s a bit of a surprise in the driving department and in a good way. Jump inside and, while Peugeot’s trademark driving position takes some getting used to with the small steering wheel and digital dials that are often obstructed, aside from that it’s all rather rosey.
The steering has a surprising amount of weight to it, which is slightly at odds with the small wheel itself. But it’s consistently weighted and better than other electric Peugeots. There’s plenty of grip and despite the modest power output, is keen for you to put it to use, allowing you to be more aggressive on turn-in than a family estate would naturally warrant.
Peugeot has also neatly navigated the dividing line between tight body control and comfort. The car leans, but not much – yet it also does a great job of absorbing bumps decisively but without becoming discomposed.
It’s all rather fluid and enjoyable, and of a class well beyond the MG5. It’s one of the most comfortable EVs around, and ideal for the UK’s potholed roads. Refinement is also excellent, and the E-308 SW is ideal for motorway runs, it’s just a shame the range isn’t a bit longer.
What about the interior?
Another of the E-308 SW’s strengths is its interior. The quality is excellent, with plenty of soft-touch materials and textures coming together. Some might find the design a bit too busy, but it’s interesting and not just a giant screen slabbed to the dashboard.
Speaking of touchscreens, all E-308 SW’s get a 10-inch unit with digital ‘i-Toggle’ switches below, essentially large shortcut buttons that can be easily configured to your preferences – to call a particular person or play your favourite radio station, for example. There’s the usual Peugeot i-Cockpit driving position, which remains as divisive now as it did a decade ago.
It’s a mixed bag on the spaciousness front. The rear seats are tricky to access and there isn’t quite as much space back there as you might expect, despite it having a longer wheelbase than the 308 hatchback.
An MG5 seems more suitable for minicab duties in that respect. But the Peugeot has by far the larger boot. Though it’s a bit smaller than petrol and diesel versions of the 308 SW, only some of the underfloor storage is lost, and there’s still space to keep the charging cables out of the way.
Before you buy
There’s the choice of an Allure and GT trim with the E-308 SW, with standard equipment pretty impressive. You get 18-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, a heated steering wheel and 10-inch touchscreen regardless of version.
The GT predominantly brings nicer visual touches include a sportier bodykit, but also adaptive cruise control, matrix LED headlights and a 3D digital instrument cluster.
The main issue with the Peugeot E-308 SW is the list price, which starts from £41,250 for the Allure and £43,320. Both are obscenely expensive when you consider the MG5 starts at less than £31,000.
But you’d be foolish to pay the E-308 SW’s list price as a quick search online reveals that dealers are knocking more than £10,000 off them already, and at that price, it starts to become a much more appealing package. Make sure your monthlies reflect the steep discounts being offered.
Verdict
The Peugeot E-308 SW is very likeable, looks good and drives perhaps even unnecessarily well. But the actual electric vehicle component feels fairly far from cutting edge for the money it costs. This places the car and its buyers in an interesting predicament.
If you want to go electric and your priority is lugging loads above all other considerations, it’s surely impossible to ignore how much cheaper the MG 5 is. The E-308 SW is unquestionably a better car, but whether it’s that much better in those circumstances only you can really determine.
Meanwhile, the same budget places all sorts of other electric machinery in reach that offers greater performance, if going zero emissions is your major concern. But secure a good discount and the E-308 SW has more than enough merits to make you choose it.