Review: Peugeot T9 308 GTi (2016-on)

Review: Peugeot T9.I 308 GTi (2016-17)

Overview

Released in Australia in February 2016, the Peugeot T9 308 GTi was a five-door hot hatch. Manufactured in Sochaux, France, the front-wheel drive Peugeot T9 308 GTi was available in 250 and 270 variants, both of which had six-speed manual transmissions. In December 2016, however, the 308 GTi 250 was discontinued.

Engine and performance

The 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engines for the Peugeot 308 GTi 250 and GTi 270 had:

• An aluminium alloy block and cylinder head;
• Double overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder;
• Variable valve timing;
• High pressure direct injection (at up to 200 bar);
• Underside piston cooling via a double oil spray system;
• A compression ratio of 9.2:1;
• A supercharged air cooling system installed below the front bumper; and,
• A ‘Stop&Start’ function which enabled the engine to shut down when the 308 GTi was stationary in traffic.

The Peugeot 308 GTi’s engine required 95 RON or 98 RON premium unleaded petrol.

The 308 GTi 250 and GTi 270 were able to accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 6.2 and 6.0 seconds, respectively.

Body and dimensions

Underpinned by PSA Peugeot Citroen’s Efficient Modular Platform (EMP2), the Peugeot T9 308 GTi was 4253 mm long, 1804 mm wide (excluding door mirrors), 1446 mm tall and had a 2620 mm long wheelbase; kerb weight was 1205 kg.

Compared to the Peugeot T9 308, the front and rear track for the T9 308 GTi were been increased to 1570 mm and 1554 mm, respectively.

Suspension and steering

The Peugeot T9 308 GTi had MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs, hydraulic dampers and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension consisted of a torsion beam rear axle, aluminium wishbones, coil springs and an anti-roll bar.

The Peugeot T9 308 GTi had rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assistance.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Peugeot T9 308 GTi included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, front seatbelt pre-tensioners and front and outer rear seatbelts with load limiters.

Euro NCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the Peugeot T9 308 – fitted with a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine – received a five star safety rating which included a 92 per cent adult occupant protection rating and a 79 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the offset crash test, protection of the front occupants’ heads, thighs and feet were rated as good, though chest and lower leg protection were only rated as adequate. Maximum points were awarded in the side impact test; in the more severe pole test, however, chest protection was assessed as marginal.

Under ANCAP’s methodology , this testing resulted in 308 hatchbacks with diesel engines receiving a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 35.82 out of 37.

Brakes

The Peugeot 308 GTi 250 had 330 mm by 30 mm ventilated front brake discs and 268 mm by 12 mm solid rear discs. The Peugeot 308 GTi 270, however, had 380 mm ventilated carbon brake discs mounted on aluminium hubs and four-piston Alcon calipers.

Features: Peugeot 308 GTi 250

Standard features for the Peugeot 308 GTi 250 included 225/40 R18 92W Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres on ‘Diamant’ alloy wheels, satellite navigation with a 9.7-inch colour touch screen, 6.9 GB music hard drive, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, two USB ports, front sports seats, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, an air conditioned glove box, cruise control with speed limiter, LED headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a rear view camera, leather steering wheel with contrast stitching, 60/40 split folding rear seats with ski flap, remote central locking with proximity key (i.e. keyless entry), power adjustable and heated mirrors with folding function, power windows, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, height adjustable front seats, an electrochrome rear view mirror, push-button start, rear privacy glass, interior mood lighting, drilled aluminium pedals, two 12 volt power sockets (front centre console and rear), a removable luggage cover, trip computer and an immobiliser.

The Peugeot 308 GTi 250 was also equipped with a ‘Driver Sport Pack’ which consisted of a digital display for G-force monitoring, throttle map calibration, exhaust note amplification and power/boost/torque levels.

Whereas the Peugeot 308 GTi 250 had a full-size spare wheel, the 308 GTi 270 had a tyre inflation kit.

Features: Peugeot 308 GTi 270

The Peugeot 308 GTi 270: 235/35 R19 91Y Michelin Super Sport tyres on 19-inch ‘Carbone’ light alloy wheels, ‘Peugeot Sport’ bucket seats upholstered in Alcantara, front seat massage function and power lumbar adjustment, and an alarm.

For the 308 GTi 270, a Torsen limited slip differential was incorporated into the transmission to improve cornering traction by directing the engine’s torque to the wheel with the greatest grip.

Paint finishes

The Peugeot 308 GTi was available in Ultimate Red, Pearlescent White, Magnetic Blue, Nera Black, Cumulus Grey and Hurricane Grey paint finishes. The 308 GTi 270, however, was available with a ‘Coupe Franche’ two-tone paint finish in which ‘Ultimate Red’ was contrasted with ‘Nera Black’ for the rear section.

Specifications

• Specifications: Peugeot T9 308 GTi 250 and GTi 270 (February 2016)

Review: Peugeot T9.II 308 GTi (2017-on)

Overview

The Peugeot T9 Phase II (T9.II) 308 GTi 270 was released in Australia in November 2017 and had a recommended retail price of $45,990.

From the front, the Peugeot T9.II 308 GTi could be identified by its new bonnet, ‘assertive’ vertical grille with central Lion badge and ‘PEUGEOT’ name in the upper trim, elliptical headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights (DRLs) and front bumper. At the rear, the T9.II 308 had new ‘claw effect’ tail-lights and a new rear bumper.

Inside, Australian-delivered Peugeot T9.II 308 GTi models had a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen and a new infotainment system with ‘Mirror Screen’ smartphone integration (supported MirrorLink, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay protocols). Furthermore, the 308 Active and Allure editions introduced new seat fabrics.

Safety equipment

For the Peugeot T9.II 308 GTi, safety equipment was extended to include the following technologies –

• Active lane keeping assist: operating at speeds from 65 km/h to 180 km/h, steering wheel torque would be applied to correct the course of the vehicle if it was about the cross lane markings and the indicators had not been applied. At speeds above 80 km/h, audible and visual alerts would be issued if the vehicle was about to cross lane markings (i.e. ‘lane departure warning’);
• Active blind spot monitoring: operating at speeds from 12 km/h to 140 km/h, the driver would be warned of a vehicle in their blind spot by illumination of an LED in the door mirror on the side of the detected vehicle;
• Active driver attention alert: would use the front camera to monitor the vehicle’s position relative to lane markings. If the driver was assessed to be inattentive, audible and visual alarms would be issued (such as ‘Be careful!’ and ‘Take a break!’);
• Smartbeam Assistance: used the front camera to detect light sources so that the Peugeot 308 GTi could automatically switch between full and dipped beams according to traffic and lighting conditions. As such, Smartbeam Assistance maximised the use of full beams for better visibility;
• Speed limit sign recognition and recommendation: used the camera above the windscreen to interpret road signs and displayed the corresponding speed limit on the instrument panel.

In January 2018, Peugeot’s Australian distributor announced that the Peugeot T9.II 308 GTi was equipped with ‘Active Safety Brake’ as standard. If the distance to an object in front of the vehicle decreased such that there was a collision risk, Active Safety Brake would apply the brakes automatically to reduce vehicle speed. AEB could detect moving vehicles when the Peugeot 308 was driving at speeds between 5 km/h and 140 km/h, stationary vehicles from speeds of less than 80 km/h and pedestrians from speeds of less than 60 km/h.

Features: Peugeot 308 GTi 270

Standard features for the Peugeot T9.II 308 GTi 270 included 19-inch alloy wheels with 235/35 R19 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, a 9.7-inch multi-function colour touchscreen, TomTom satellite navigation with 3D maps, Mirror Screen (smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay, MirrorLink and Android Auto), Bluetooth and USB connectivity, a CD player, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, an air conditioned glove box, ‘Peugeot Sport’ bucket seats with massage function and power lumbar adjustment, red interior stitching highlights (including the seats, door panel trim, gear lever and floor mats), cruise control with speed limiter, full LED headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, parking sensors (front and rear), a reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing headlights, leather trimmed steering wheel, 60/40 split rear seats, remote central locking with proximity key (i.e. keyless entry), power windows, power adjustable and heated door mirrors with folding function, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, height adjustable front seats, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, push-button start, an electric parking brake, 12 volt power sockets (front and rear), front reading lights, interior mood lighting, a centre rear armrest with drink holders, an ‘Anthracite’ black roof and door pillars, alloy door sill protectors, drilled aluminium pedals, rear privacy glass, tyre pressure monitoring, a retractable cargo cover, a trip computer, an alarm and immobiliser. Like the Peugeot T9.I 308 GTi, the T9.II 308 GTi was also fitted with a Torsen limited slip differential.

The Peugeot 308 GTi was also equipped with ‘City Park’ which could identify parking spaces and provide automated steering for right angle and parallel parking manoeuvres.

Peugeot 308 GTi Sport

In February 2019, the limited-run Peugeot 308 GTi Sport was released in Australia. Visually, the Peugeot 308 GTi Sport could be identified by its five-piece bodykit which consisted of a front spoiler, side skirt extensions, rear bumper corner extensions, rear diffuser and ‘gurney flap’ rear spoiler.

The Peugeot 308 GTi Sport was available in black, Artense Grey and Magnetic Blue paint finishes. Australian deliveries of the Peugeot 308 GTi Sport were limited to twenty (20) vehicles.

Specifications

• Specifications: Peugeot T9.II 308 and 308 GTi (November 2017)
• Specifications: Peugeot T9.II 308 GTi (April 2018)