2022 Peugeot 308 SW debuts – longer wheelbase, 608 litres of boot space; 1.6L PHEV, up to 60 km e-range

Say hello to the new Peugeot 308 SW. Its unveiling comes just three months after the third-generation 308 broke cover, but the sleek French wagon will only be hitting showroom floors in early 2022. At launch, there will be seven exterior colour options to choose from, starting with Nera Black, Nimbus Grey, Cumulus Grey, Bianca White, Pearl White, Elixir Red, and the new Avatar Blue you see here.

On the design side of things, the 308 SW looks visibly longer compared to the regular hatch. The front fascia is identical between the two, but the wagon gets a stretched roofline, roof rails and larger three-quarter windows.

The back end of the 308 SW is completely unique. The LED tail lights are no longer connected by a trim piece, allowing the new lion badge to be moved up. The registration plate holder has also been shifted upwards, making for a suitably cleaner look.

As the more practical variant of the 308, the wagon offers a generous 608 litres of boot space, complete with a two-tier stowage system. This can be expanded to 1,634 litres with the rear seatbacks folded (40:20:40 split), accommodating items up to 1.85 metres-long. All this comes from stretching the new 308’s wheelbase by 55 mm – the 308 SW measures 4,640 mm-long (60 mm longer than the older 308 SW) and has a 210 mm rear overhang.

Since it’s based on the same upgraded EMP2 platform, the 308 SW comes with the exact same powertrain options, with fully-electric versions being possible as well. Early adopters can choose between two plug-in hybrid flavours,the Hybrid 180 and 225. The numbers represent the amount of total horsepower on tap, coming from an 81 kW (110 PS) electric motor and the 1.6 litre PureTech turbocharged four-cylinder engine with either 150 PS/250 Nm or 180 PS. The combined torque is 320 Nm.

The 308 SW is also equipped with the same 12.4 kWh battery pack, providing an all-electric range of up to 60 km (WLTP cycle). A 3.7 kW onboard charger comes as standard, but customers can upgrade to a 7.4 kW unit, which allows a single-phase wallbox to fully charge the car in just under two hours. Otherwise, you’ll need approximately seven hours to charge the battery via a standard eight-ampere domestic socket.

Non-hybrid powertrain options include the 1.2 litre PureTech 130 and 1.5 litre BlueHDi 130. All 308 SW models are fitted with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard.

Now, the cabin and equipment list are pretty much the same as the 308. Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout is standard, featuring a 10-inch fully digital instrument cluster and another 10-inch widescreen touch display in the middle. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support are standard across all models, but wireless connectivity is only available from Allure Premium and up.

A second display can be optioned to sit just underneath the main display, replacing the climate controls and providing user-customisable shortcuts. The tall centre console features a trendy toggle-style automatic gear selector and drive mode rocker, freeing up space for a dedicated wireless charging slot, two large cupholders and up to 34 litres of storage space.

Peugeot claims that the seats in the 308 SW have been awarded the coveted AGR (Aktion für Gesunder Rücken) certification thanks to their ergonomics and range of adjustment. A 10-way power adjustment with two memory settings can be had as an option, as well as a multi-point massage and heated seats. Upholstery materials include mottled fabric, Alcantara, embossed leather and coloured Nappa leather.

Safety-wise, the 308 is offered with the new Drive Assist 2.0 pack, adding semi-autonomous driving capabilities. Aside from adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist, the system also includes lane change and speed limit suggestions as well as the ability to slow down for corners at speeds of up to 180 km/h. Other new features are long-range blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a reverse camera washer, a 360-degree camera system and an emergency call function.