Peugeot, along with its new grille and more restrained image, is pinning its non-crossover hopes on the all-new 308, a car not unlike the Volkswagen Golf seventh-gen. It uses a new platform, which is both lightweight and modular, it looks all grown up and might some say, even boring, and finally, it comes with an assortment of engine options, as well as a tempting promise for a very fast top of the range model, the recently revealed 266HP R Concept.

In addition, it looks like the kind of evolution in styling that the VW group applies, even though the new 308 bears no resemblance to its distinctly average predecessor, also called 308. It reminds me of the very German Citroen C5 which took the idea of a German car and both embraced it and mocked it at the same time, through its advertising – I thought it was quite original back in the day.

The 308 has yet to gain the full slew of ads that it is bound to get, since it’s Peugeot’s Golf (in more ways than one), so we won’t know if they go for a similar style of promotion – judging by the look and feel of the car, they really could say again that it’s “unmistakably German.”

What Peugeot has done, though, is give us a bucketload of photos. Again, as we previously stated, it’s not bad to look at, and with the promise of good handling, strong efficiency and a better than you may expect reliability record (particularly for the diesel cars) it could and should be a more successful car than the one it replaces.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

2014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-12014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-22014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-32014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-42014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-52014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-62014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-72014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-82014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-92014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-102014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-112014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-122014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-132014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-142014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-152014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-162014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-172014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-182014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-192014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-202014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-212014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-222014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-232014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-242014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-252014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-262014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-272014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-282014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-292014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-302014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-312014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-322014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-332014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-342014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-352014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-362014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-372014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-382014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-392014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-402014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-412014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-422014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-432014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-442014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-452014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-462014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-472014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-482014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-492014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-502014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-512014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-522014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-532014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-542014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-552014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-562014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-572014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-582014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-592014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-602014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-612014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-622014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-632014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-642014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-652014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-662014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-672014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-682014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-692014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-702014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-712014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-722014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-732014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-742014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-752014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-762014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-772014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-782014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-792014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-802014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-812014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-822014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-832014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-842014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-852014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-862014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-872014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-882014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-892014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-902014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-912014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-922014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-932014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-942014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-952014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-962014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-972014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-982014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-99 2014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1002014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1012014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1022014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1032014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1042014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1052014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1062014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1072014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1082014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1092014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1102014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1112014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1122014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1132014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1142014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1152014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1162014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1172014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1182014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1192014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1202014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1212014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1222014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1232014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1242014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1252014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1262014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1272014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1282014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1292014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1302014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1312014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1322014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1332014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1342014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1352014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1362014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1372014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1382014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1392014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1402014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1412014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1422014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1432014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1442014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1452014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1462014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1472014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1482014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1492014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1502014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1512014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1522014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1532014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1542014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1552014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1562014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1572014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1582014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1592014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1602014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1612014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1622014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1632014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1642014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1652014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1662014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1672014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1682014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1692014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1702014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-1712014-Peugeot-308-Hatch-Carscoops-172