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By Jonathan Crouch

Peugeot's 308 hatch makes more sense in self-charging Hybrid 145 e-DSC6 form. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 68

Peugeot fits out its 308 with possibly an ideal engine, a self charging hybrid, the 145 e-DSC6 unit we look at here. If you want a 308 but aren't quite ready for it to be fully electrified, this is a variant you have to consider. Other Stellantis Group brands offer this kind of engine too, but this 308 delivers it in this segment with a bit more flair.

Backgroundword count: 168

It wasn't very long ago that if you wanted a full-Hybrid engine in a family hatchback, your choices were pretty limited. To either a Toyota Corolla or a pricier Honda Civic e:HEV. In 2023 though, various Stellantis group makers shook the segment up by introducing an apparently more accessible but still very efficient self-charging Hybrid power unit available amongst mainstream brands in this class in Vauxhall's Astra, Citroen's C4 and in the model we look at here, Peugeot's 308 The P5-era third generation 308 really needed this. Prior to this petrol/electric unit's arrival, there was a vast price gulf between the conventional 1.2-litre Puretech engines at one end of the range and the Plug-in Hybrid and full-electric variants at the other. The 308 Hybrid e-DSC6 models plugged that gap, originally offered with 136hp, a figure then uprated to 145hp by the time of this mid-term update. As with the other powerplants, this one is available in both hatch and SW estate body shapes. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 344

Like the Hybrid 2008 small SUV, this self charging 308 uses this e-DSC6 unit only in its faster 145hp form (the 208 supermini has a lesser 110hp version of this unit). As usual with a full-Hybrid, you have to have an auto gearbox, though this is a rather different kind of self-shifting transmission - and not only because it's of the dual-clutch sort and restricted to six speeds. Built into its casing is a DC inverter, an Engine Control Unit and, most significantly, a little 28hp electric motor powered by a tiny battery secreted beneath the front passenger seat. On the move, this motor can work together with this Hybrid model's 1.2-litre petrol engine - or separately from it. And, unlike with a mild hybrid system like that fitted to say, a rival Volkswagen Golf, here the car can be driven for short urban distances (under 18mph) on electric power alone. During deceleration, the petrol engine stops and the e-motor acts as a generator to recharge the Hybrid system's 48V battery. The battery also stores the energy recuperated by the regenerative braking system. The motor additionally assists the engine under acceleration - such as from standstill to 62mph, which takes 9.3s en route to 130mph. Forty years ago, handling excellence would have been expected from a Peugeot hatch or small estate of this size. In the '80's and '90's, models like the 205 and the 306 set class benchmarks in that regard, even in their humbler forms. By the turn of the century though, the Lion brand had conceded that territory to Ford and its hatch contenders had become forgettable and derivative. More recently though, things have been changing. By the new century's second decade, the unusual 'i-Cockpit' dashboard design made its debut, with a diddy little steering wheel that made 208 and 308 models of the period feel sportier, even if ultimately they weren't. All that was really needed was a genuine level of dynamic drive to back it all up. Which is, to some extent, what this third generation 308 can deliver.

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