Peugeot 308 CC HDi 2010 review

Style affects how you walk, talk, what you eat, who you count and friends, what you think and your possessions.  Ultimately, style appears to be all about you. But it is a trick. In fact, style is totally aimed at impressing everyone around you.

Style is, therefore, not for everyone. Just the French.  So it shouldn't be a surprise that French car manufacturer Peugeot makes style on wheels that is designed to impress.  Peugeot's latest is the 308CC, a metal folding roof convertible that reeks of head-turning appeal. And style.

Appearance

It arrives as a young woman with a softly rounded wedge with narrow, stretched headlights and a steeply-raked windscreen. Impressive. Yet it departs as a matron disappearing down a hospital corridor with a rather round-bottomed, frumpy and overweight carriage.

Explore the 2010 Peugeot 308 range

• Peugeot 308 CC HDi 2010 review
• Peugeot 308 2010 review

This juxtaposition shouldn't be derided, for part of the French style is incorporating some room for function. The bulbous tail is simply where the metal roof must hide away and still leave room for madame's luggage.  Of course, you don't see this when you're driving because the whole experience is there to impress others.

Equipment

Features rate highly and include the ‘airwave’ system that, like the Mercedes airscarf, blows warm air from the front seats around the front occupants' necks and shoulders. The front seats also hide side head airbags - a first in a production car - that helps the 308CC get the difficult five-star crash rating.

Chassis and drivetrain

But Peugeot hasn't taken it all away. The 308 chassis and drivetrain are a lovely combination that melds positive handling with a soft ride.  The engine is a sweet 2-litre turbo-diesel that is shared with other members of the Peugeot family. The CC represents the first time the words Peugeot, diesel and convertible have been in the same sentence.

On paper the inclusion of the diesel appears detrimental to the CC's obvious sporty connotations. It shows a rather wimpy 100kW though the meaty 320Nm of torque at 2000rpm makes up for the loss.  In practice, the engine really makes the 380CC a desirable package even though acceelration isn't its strong point.

It drives the front wheels via a six-speed sequential automatic - with steering wheel paddle shifters - that adds icing to the engine's appetising characteristics.

Driving

Behind the wheel the CC - standing for Coupe Cabriolet - is an odd experience. There's an awful lot of pointy sheet metal out in front that you can't see from the driver's seat. The side windows are high and the seats are a bit low so you feel surrounded by metal. Even though you know the tail is a big, rounded appendage, frustratingly it isn't visible to the driver.

What is visible is plenty of bling, from the chrome edging of the instruments to the bright metal gearknob and alloy foot pedals that reach a near molten state in summer. It looks great but combine that expansive windscreen and a hot day and the result will bake the cabin and fry your exposed body parts.

That's exacerbated by an airconditioner that blows warm air for the first 10 minutes while the occupants wither like hot lettuce. There is a problem with Peugeot airconditioning units and this needs to be fixed.  That aside, the CC is one cool car. It gets heads turning and rewards its driver with neat and connective handling and an engine that pulls so strongly at low revs in every gear.

The acceleration is reasonable but the real bonus of the diesel is the ability to quickly get the power to the wheels as the gearbox progresses up the cogs. This strength also slashes overtaking times.  Even better is that it's a quiet diesel and doesn't ruffle the convertible's image.

The 308CC is sold as a four-seater but it's a bit tight in the back. It gets its portliness from the electric roof and the associated engineering needed to keep the chassis - unaided by a welded roof - from twisting.  That's why the handling is so good and the acceleration just so-so.
But despite its faults, it's a lovely car. A car to be seen in and to be seen to own. Everyone will be so impressed.

Rating: 84/100