It’s already pretty clear that Peugeot isn’t going to offer hot new GTI variants of its models anytime soon, and the same applies to the just-revealed 308 hatchback.
It’s not just Peugeot that’s walking away from hot hatches either; big European automakers, with the exception of the VW Group, have been slowly but steadily letting this corner of the market die a slow death for the past few years due to decreasing sales and ever tougher emission regulations.
Read More: 2021 Peugeot 308 Unveiled With New Looks, Advanced Tech, And Two Plug-In Hybrids
Top Gear asked if Peugeot is going to offer a GTI version of the new 308, Peugeot’s Product Director Jerome Micheron said: “If you look at the market for sporty versions, and the CO2 regulations, it has collapsed.”
While indirect, the response from Peugeot’s Product Director sounds like a pretty solid no. But the bad news doesn’t end here.
Previous reports suggested that instead of a traditional GTI version of the new 308, Peugeot was considering a high-performance plug-in hybrid version, in the same vein as the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered. However, the French carmaker appears to have abandoned the idea. “We don’t see a market yet. And it adds extra weight,” said Micheron.
The new Peugeot 308 is based on the EMP2 architecture and will be available with two plug-in hybrid powertrains; these will be powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol, with either 150 HP or 180 HP, and a 108 HP electric motor. Both variants also feature the same 12.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, allowing them to offer an EV range of up to 37 miles (60 km) on the WLTP cycle.
