Although Peugeot was understandably delighted about it, I don't think too much should be read into the fact that the 308 was named European Car of the Year for 2014 back in March. It's a good car, but should it be thought of as an equal to the Volkswagen Golf which won the same award a year earlier? I don't think so.Still, I'm more positive about the 308 after spending a week and several hundred miles behind the wheel of the 1.2 e-THP 130 Allure. It's my favourite version so far, and that's entirely down to to its engine, which simply does everything well.It's powerful for its size, so it makes the car quick enough for all normal motoring situations. (Ironically, a Peugeot dealer I know thought that a similar model was a bit sluggish when he drove it hard along a country road, but his own car has a two-litre engine so he's used to a higher level of performance.) The way the little turbocharged 1.2 behaves at speeds as low as 1200rpm struck me as being particularly impressive.It's also very quiet - only when you're accelerating hard, or climbing a steep hill, do you become fully aware of the characteristic three-cylinder beat. Fuel economy is good too. The official figure is 58.9mpg, and that might be difficult to achieve without careful planning, but you should be able to average something in the mid to high 40s without difficulty.What I really like about the 1.2, though, is that it's very light. As a result, you get the impression that the car rides and handles the way it does because that's how the suspension was set-up, not because it has a great lump of engine to heave around the place.In this form, the 308 is at its best on very smooth roads where it can deal with undulations in a leisurely manner. It's not so good when it encounters two bumps in quick succession, because it hasn't fully recovered from the first by the time it reaches the second. Driving along badly maintained tarmac can therefore be something of a trial.I should add here that the test car ran on 17" wheels with low-profile tyres, which can't have helped, but I think this is more of a suspension issue. And the 1.2 was much more composed than a 308 diesel I drove late last year which was also fitted with 17s.The worst thing about the 308 is the visibility, which is limited at the front by very thick windscreen pillars. And if Peugeot wanted to emulate the Golf (not a bad idea for anyone designing a C-segment car) it could have found better ways to do it than leaving a large, windowless chunk of metal between the rear doors and the tailgate.Nor is it in the 308's favour that there space is so limited in the back seats. Just before starting to write this I tried sitting there when the driver's seat was set up for me (disclaimer: I'm quite tall) and for a couple of anxious moments I seriously doubted whether I would be able to get out again. This is not a car capable of carrying four six-footers in comfort.Lots of luggage space, though. 470 litres with the rear seats up, in fact, which is much more than you get in a Golf or Focus. And, while we're doing comparisons, I can't immediately bring to mind any car in this class with such an impressively small turning circle. The first time I had to turn round in a confined space I was sure I would have to do a three-point turn, but in fact the 308 went round in one go with plenty of room to spare. Other manufacturers would do well to pay attention to this.Being an Allure, and therefore second from the top in the 308 range, this car had the i-Cockpit (fitted to all versions other than the entry-level Access) which does away with buttons and knobs and what have you and lets you operate the minor controls via a central touchscreen which behaves much like an iPad or similar device.It's a decent enough system. My only problem with it is that if it's telling you what radio station you're listening to and you want to adjust the fan setting on the air-conditioning you have to select a different display before you can make the necessary adjustments. The whole mock-tablet idea is very clever, but I wonder if this is the kind of thing that will eventually make it fall out of fashion as people decide they prefer the more conventional arrangement.Like every car Peugeot has introduced since the 208, this one has the notably unconventional cockpit layout of a high-set instrument panel and an unusually low steering wheel. This arrangement has its critics, but I liked it the first time I encountered it and I still do.As for the instruments themselves, I initially thought that the way the revcounter needle swings anticlockwise round its dial was an affection and wondered if I would grow more or less irritated with it. I've since become quite a fan, since it means that the ends of the needles on the four dials (including the speedo and the water temperature and oil pressure gauges) all follow the edge of an imaginary clock face centred in the middle of the panel. This may not be a helpful description, but the effect is pleasantly symmetrical, and it's one of the better parts of the 308's design. Engine 1199cc, 3 cylinders Power 128bhp Transmission 6-speed manual Fuel/CO2 58.9mpg / 110g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.3 seconds Top speed 125mph Price £19,795 Details correct at publication date
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