With the SA Car of the Year winner being announced this past Wednesday, we are uncertain if any other car manufacturer except Porsche must bother entering, especially after the Stuttgart Stallion’s third win in a row with the Porsche Macan S Diesel. Nevertheless, French carmaker Peugeot has debuted the new 308 locally, which comes with the title of 2014 European Car of Year, and is designed to take on the likes of Volkswagen Golf and Audi's A3.

European efficiency

The car's design centres around Peugeot's new generation Efficient Modular Platform 2 (EMP2). If that short handle is foreign to you, Peugeot says the new 308 combines "compact dimensions and a substantially reduced kerb mass with an advanced, high-efficiency drivetrain to deliver exceptional dynamics and frugal fuel consumption." As such it seems to tick a lot of the boxes that a local Car of the Year candidate needs to meet.

The interior too is said to reflect the new thinking behind design at Peugeot. Examples of this are the deeply recessed and highly visible instrument dials, along with a colour touchscreen display. Added as well is a multifunction steering wheel designed to bring the 308's host of on cabin functions and features easily to one's fingertips.

Table for two

With two models in the 308 range, starting things off is the Peugeot 308 Active, which is fitted with  the 1.2 PureTech e-THP 110 engine. It yields a maximum output of 81 kW at 5500 rpm, which is paired with 205 Nm of torque. Included too is a five-speed manual gearbox as standard.

Next up is the 1.2 PureTech e-THP 130 engine, which is fitted to the 308 GT Line. It elevates engine outputs levels even further, with power increasing to 96 kW at 5500 rpm, while torque now peaks at 240 Nm. Added to this improved engine, the GT Line model also gets a six-speed manual gearbox with optimised ratios.

As far as pricing goes, the 308 Active is set to start at R275 900. The more powerful and slightly better specced 308 GT Line will cost an estimated R329 900. Both cars will be arriving at local Peugeot dealers by the end of March.