Peugeot 308 hatchback - MPG, running costs & CO2

While weight savings make the Peugeot 308 much more fun to drive than the car it replaced, they also mean it’s much cheaper to run than its predecessor. The result is that the most economical model can achieve over 64mpg, according to the latest WLTP cycle - which is far stricter than the previous test.

Peugeot 308 MPG & CO2

This Peugeot 308 weighs 140kg less than the old model, making it extremely economical when combined with the company’s latest engines.

The 1.5-litre BlueHDi 100 and 130 diesels are particularly frugal, and suited to higher mileage drivers: even the more powerful version can return an impressive 62.7mpg and emits from 119g/km of CO2, for a decent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax liability.

Choose the higher-powered 2.0-litre diesel engine (only available on top-spec GT models), and it emits from 156g/km. Despite its 178bhp swinging the balance more towards performance than economy, and the engine only being available with an automatic gearbox, the 2.0-litre diesel is still said to return up to 52.5mpg.

36

Choosing a petrol Peugeot 308 doesn't mean high running costs, either – the basic 108bhp 1.2-litre can achieve fuel economy of 51.5mpg. The clever 1.2-litre PureTech 130 is more powerful and slightly improves fuel economy managing 51.9mpg with CO2 emissions from 126-108g/km putting it in a reasonable BiK band for company-car drivers.

The automatic-only 308 GT is now more powerful, with 221bhp, but will only just return 40mpg and has CO2 emissions of 133-137g/km. The range-topping 308 GTI has 268bhp, but Peugeot estimates that it will return 37.8mpg in mixed driving. However, the model costs around £30,000, which brings excellent rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf R, SEAT Leon Cupra and Renault Megane RS into play, and all three are slightly more powerful than the 308 GTI.

After the first year's CO2-based road tax (generally included in the on-the-road price), all Peugeot 308s cost £145 a year to tax.

Insurance

Insurance runs from group 14 for the basic petrol model up to group 30 for the top-of-the-range 2.0-litre diesel and 36 for the GTi. Ignore the high-performance R model and the Volkswagen Golf’s insurance costs are broadly similar – it runs from insurance groups 12 to 33 for the top GTI.

Warranty

Peugeot’s three-year/60,000-mile warranty is bettered by the seven-year/100,000-mile cover you get on a Kia, but that doesn't necessarily mean the 308 will be costly to maintain.

Servicing

Peugeot offers all-inclusive monthly maintenance, while its Originals maintenance scheme fixes the price of consumables such as the clutch (around £500 depending on model) and front brake pads (£125).