Peugeot 308 Verve

Nov 28 2009 Robin Roberts

THE Peuget 308 is a staple of the showrooms. Year in and year out it is one of those consistently popular models.

That alone is remarkable because the car itself is fairly unremarkable and while not doing anything in an outstanding way it does a lot very competently.

Occasionally, Peugeot will spice up the range with the addition of special editions and the Verve builds on the already well-specified 308 five-door hatchback, but adds key features of appeal that include as standard; Bluetooth, 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning and Verve badges and mats. It's only available with the more popular five-door body.

However there is a choice of enignes with the petrol VTi 95 - the model driven here - or VTi 120 or diesel HDi 90 engines. Paint jobs are either Nera Black, Babylon Red or Hurricane Grey.

Slipping into the Peugeot 308 Verve is like meeting an old friend. It is familiar but you notice the changes which have taken place since you last saw them.

This car had the 1.4-litre 95bhhp engine and it was a good all rounder, but not outstanding in any respect save for its quietness. I wondered at times if it was still running when stationary because there was no discernable vibration or any noise and only a glance at the tachometer confirmed it was ticking over.

The power band is fairly tight in the engine and it's not particularly flexible so you have to use the five-speed gearbox to make progress, but that's no problem as the light clutch and direct action gearchange made selection easy.

I sometimes wished it had a sixth gear to reduce its cruising engine note and further extend economy as its overall consumption of 34mpg was not particularly outstanding.

The feedback through the steering was complimented by a fairly tight turning circle and the brakes were very strong but only needed modest pedal pressure to bring about rapid deceleration. The handbrake held it securely on a test slope.

I found the secondary controls were straightforward and well placed around the column or on the facia while the very stylish instruments' pack was clear and well marked.

Heating and ventilation was elementary and it worked very well throughout the cabin.

Oddments provision was good for a family car with large compartments throughout and the boot was also generous behind the fifth door and modest sill. Seats folded 60/40 and capacity was a maximum 1400 litres from a nominal 347 litres with the seats in use.

Access to boot and cabin was very good and the seats are particularly comfortable and supporting.

The doors had a good opening range and the room inside was good for four, a squeeze for five, while the front seats had a reasonable but not remarkable adjustment range.

Visibility was good throughout the car with particularly good front wipers, less impressive rear wiper, bright lights and big windows.

With only a modest amount of power there is little chance of you getting into trouble but you have to carefully judge overtaking and the handling is very safe, even boring at times.

Road-holding produces a tendency to run wide on tight corners but lift off the throttle and it comes gently back on course.

The Peugeot 308 ride is very good over nearly all surfaces. Some bumps taken slowly can jiggle the car by a surprising amount but at speed it covers the same road with greater composure.

While the Peugeot 308 with the 95bhp engine is not going to set your world alight, it will give you a warm glow of satisfaction with its all-round friendliness.

FAST FACTS

Peugeot 308 Verve 5dr

Price: £15,745

Mechanical: 95bhp, 1,399cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 114mph

0-62mph: 14.3 seconds

Combined mpg: 44

Insurance group: 6

CO2 emissions: 155g/km

BIK rating: 19%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles