Fresh face and better range for updated 308

REVEALED Peugeot tweaks hybrid and EV hatchback and estate in bid to tempt buyers away from SUVs

- Paul Barker

THE Peugeot 308 has been updated with a sleek new face, a bold, light-up nose and a series of headline tech changes. This includes greater range for the electric version, as the firm looks to keep its venerable hatchback and SW estate relevant in an increasingly SUV-dominated market.

The most obvious addition is the illuminated badge, with the French brand following the likes of Vauxhall and Volkswagen by lighting up the Peugeot emblem on top-spec 308 models for the first time.

The grille has been given a sharper and more aggressive look with the addition of a raft of body-coloured inserts. The new 'three-claw' daytime running light signature replaces the vertical bar of the outgoing car, and on the GT and new GT Premium trims there is short vertical lighting running across beneath the leading edge of the bonnet.

The headlights sit beneath the daytime running lights, and Peugeot has tried to make the car look wider via the sculpted bumpers and large vent that helps efficiency by aiding air flow into the wheelarches.