A great all-rounder.Byline: By ENDA MULLEN PEUGEOT'S 308 has won plaudits-aplenty since it was launched in 2007 and deservedly so. It's a great car in many respects - impressively designed, well built and fun to drive. The SW estate version has proved a welcome addition to the 308 family, offering practicality on top of existing commendable characteristics. Once estate cars only had to be functional, but now discerning buyers demand more. Gone are the days when purchasing an estate meant you had to sacrifice good looks for practicality. Carrying capacity carrying capacity the number of animal units that a farm or area will carry on a year round basis, including that needed for conservation of winter feed. Usually stated as dry cows or dry sheep equivalents per hectare. is good, but you get a touch of style too. The rear end manages to achieve that 'in between' look rather than that of a full-on estate - rounded as opposed to boxy box·y adj. box·i·er, box·i·est Resembling a box, especially in simplicity or rectangularity. box  i·ness n. .
Despite this, it is practicality where the 308 SW scores highest, not least for being able to pack an extra row of seats in. It used to be the case that only full-size van-like MPVs offered this, then SUVs and compact MPVs followed suit. Now Csegment estates are in on the act. Described as a pair of occasional folding seats, you even get MPV-style flexible seating permutations too, as they're removable as well as foldable. Take them out and you have 2,149 litres of space - and that's in the big estate car league. This particular car came with the additional seats as an optional extra, while the full-length panoramic style roof - which gives a wonderfully open feel - was part of the standard specification. The Sport model, it sits in the middle of three trim levels, the others being S and SE. It features the biggest and most powerful engine available in the SW, the 136bph 2.0-litre diesel. This is without doubt one of the car's great strengths. Punchy punch·y adj. punch·i·er, punch·i·est 1. Characterized by vigor or drive: "He speaks in short, punchy sentences, using plain, populist words that excite" , smooth and refined, it delivers plenty of driver satisfaction and a top speed of 125mph, while returning 47.8 mpg on the combined cycle A combined cycle is characteristic of a power producing engine or plant that employs more than one thermodynamic cycle. Heat engines are only able to use a portion of the energy their fuel generates (usually less than 50%). The remaining heat from combustion is generally wasted. - only a little way behind the smaller 1.6 oil burner's return of 53mpg. The 308 is good to drive too, feeling stiff and composed, while combining a smooth ride with a sufficiently sporty feel. Facts and figures Peugeot 308 SW Sport HDi 136 FAP (language) FAP - The assembly language for Sperry-Rand 1103 and 1103A. [Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)]. 5dr Price: pounds 19,145 Mechanical: 136bhp, 1,997cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox Max speed: 125mph 0-62mph: 11.1 secs Combined mpg: 47.8 Insurance group: 10 CO2 emissions: 155g/km BiK rating: 21% Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles, 3yrs paint, 12yr anti-rust CAPTION(S): STYLISH LOOK - Peugeot's 308 is rounded rather than boxy, like some others estates; REFINED - the 308 offers a smooth, but punchy, ride |
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