Is the Peugeot 308 R destined for production?

It was at the Shanghai Motor Show that French car brand Peugeot revealed their latest in concept ideas which was of course the 308 R Hybrid model. At the time it was initially thought that maybe some design ques of the powerful vehicle would be carried over to models in the future of the brands line-up but more and more information has become available which suggests that the new model could very well make it into production afterall and we could very well see it go on sale within the next number of years. The 308R was designed with a new outlook on cars and hatchback models in general as this would be a more hot hatch version of the popular 308 that has been one of the firms biggest sellers for the past seven years since its launch originally in 2008. The 308 quickly developed a reputation for being an affordable small family car but much like rivals such as the Honda brand have taken their Civic range with the Type R and Ford with their ST models, we look ahead to the future of the hot hatch for Peugeot.

What do we know so far about the 308 R?

Well the design of the car itself is looking much edgier and more sporty than the standard 308 and the design itself is based largely on a concept version that was revealed at the Paris Motor Show last year. Powering the car will be a combination of not one but two electric motors both giving out 114 brake horse power a piece and the 267bhp delivering 1.6 litre, turbocharged engine. To make the car one of the most desired driving experiences, four driving modes have been confirmed to be available with the car which include for on the road and other modes based around tracks and setting time records. The big selling point however is the total power it gives out which comes in at 493 brake horse power overall.

When would the 308 R be likely to see production?

With concept models being revealed last year in Paris and this year in Shanghai, the production of the car could still be a further few years away yet. No confirmation has been given of its production but all signs point towards it as the head of Peugeot Maxim Picat advised everyone that development of the car was going strong and they would like to start commercialising the car. This is certainly good news and we hope to see the 308 R enter the hybrid market further down the line.