What will the Peugeot 308 Crossover look like? What are its features? All and more are in our news. In addition to the sedan (P51) and the SW station wagon (P52), the new Peugeot 308 family will offer a unique bodywork known internally under the code P54. Available in gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid, this high-legged sedan-coupe will replace the 408 in the fall of 2022.
From mid-March 2021 until autumn 2022, Peugeot will embark on the renewal of the 308 families, called P5. It will open the ball with the unveiling of the five-door sedan (P51) on March 18, which will go on sale in October. Follow the 308 SW station wagon, unveiled in the summer of 2021 and launched in the 1 st quarter of 2022, and will keep the best for the end. If the current generation is only available in two silhouettes in Europe, a third exists in China in the form of a notchback sedan, the 408. To replace the latter, Peugeot will surprise by reinterpreting the traditional sedan which is no longer a recipe.
Unlike the current 408, the 308 Crossover will not be confined to Asia. The P54 project was part (with the future 3008 and 5008), until recently, of the strategy of Peugeot’s return to the United States, buried with the birth of Stellaris. However, its viability has not been questioned because the Peugeot P54 will have its counterpart at Opel with a Crossover (OV54) version of the new Astra. A type of bodywork that is on the rise (Polestar 2, Citroën C4 and future C5), and which will snowball with other manufacturers (Kia CV, Ford Mondeo …).
Lamborghini inspiration
With a length of 4.70 m, this sedan of a new kind is developed on the EMP2 V3 platform but with an extended wheelbase, probably that of the 308 SW and the Citroën C5 III. Like the latter, and the DS4, the Peugeot Crossover will be characterized by a raised trim obtained by large 720 mm wheels. As for its style, our informants are unanimous on its spectacular design. If the front end will be common with the 308 5-door, the rest will be specific with the slippery roofline of a coupe and a truncated stern like that of the Toyota CH-R. The stern is even described as “muscular” with references to the Lamborghini Aventador by the design of the C-pillar and the rear bumper.
308 Crossover Interior
Shared with the new 308, the dashboard will be distinguished by an evolution of the i-cockpit which will integrate a new 10-inch multimedia system, common with that of the DS4. As a result, ergonomics worthy of a smartphone, better responsiveness, and “Over The Air” updates without going to the garage. Unlike the sedan, the crossover will benefit from a more spacious rear cell at the level of the legs, a prerequisite to attract Chinese customers.
No electric
One thing is certain: the catalog will not include a 100% electric version which will be reserved for the 5-door sedan. This crossover should begin its career with the engines of the latter. Namely the 1.2 PureTech (130 and probably 155 hp) associated with a 48V light hybridization in gasoline, the 1.5 BlueHDi 130 as well as two 1.6 PureTech rechargeable hybrids of 150 and 225 hp. The EAT8 automatic gearbox will be replaced by the original Punch Powertrain / PSA e-DCT dual-clutch gearbox. In 2023, Peugeot will launch the 1.6 PureTech Generation 3 (Euro 7) produced at Opel in Hungary. The latter will team up with thee-DCT transmission on the new plug-in hybrids.
What name for the Crossover 308?
308 RXH, 4008, 6008… many hypotheses are possible. As in China, it could quite simply be called 408, a surname that reflects the positioning superior to that of the 308. Nevertheless, if we follow the logic of the Peugeot nomenclature, the 4 of P54 refers to an SUV. Therefore, the name should have a double zero like the other SUVs in the range (2008, 3008, and 5008). The games are open until spring 2022 when the reveal. Whatever its name, this vehicle will undeniably overshadow the 508, whose mixed commercial results raise the question of whether or not to replace it, even internally.
