Louth Motors: The new 308 and Astra go head to head

The car testing gods favoured me with two similar cars to test one week after the other.
I debuted in the new 308 and then got the new Astra.

The underpinnings of both of these cars are very similar using the PSA Group’s, now Stellantis group, EMP2 chassis.

There’s also quite a few of the safety systems and driver controls that prompt “I’ve seen that before” but, it has to be said, in a good way.

Peugeot and Opel must have been given the sternest of stern warnings that regardless of what they produce it must be, first and foremost, good looking.

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This, remember, is in a sector that has fallen out of favour with buyers in droves preferring the croosuvs with the added seating height.
And that design brief was I reckon given because if there is one thing that’ll attract back the buyers, it’s looks.

They have both aced their briefs to produce the best-looking cars in the segment. The Corolla is the runaway leader in the sector and is to my eye quite a looker, but like a permanently anxious supermodel fearing the next younger model, that fear has been realized and these two are the new front covers.

They are both unmistakably hatchbacks in shape but after that the interpretation of how it should look differ.

The differences are that the 308 has a normal looking grille at the front whereas the Astra has a front that wouldn’t look amiss on an all-electric car.

The angular daytime running lights on the 308 are very distinctive and perfectly frame the new Peugeot logo that debuts on the 308.

I was stopped for a full 30 minutes by a lady wanting to know what the car was and was blown away when I said it was a Peugeot.

Her husband was off looking at a car that morning and she rang him to make sure he called to Peugeot as well.

I personally put it down to the best car colour I’ve seen in years that’s called Olivine Green.
I know, green, but when you see it you’ll want it.

The rear of the 308 goes for a full width light bar but the Astra takes the look from the Mokka and those perfectly level rear light clusters, a good choice and now it’s very easy to identify a new Opel.

The side shows the more sculpted looks of the 308 but the Astra has a few of its own as well and I feel they executed the C pillar better with what I can only describe as a DS3 sharkfin. Google it.
Inside the 308 has honed its i-Cockpit and is now its best exponent.

It’s a beautiful place to sit in. The Astra is up there with it but it’s more conventional that won’t put off any potential buyer.

The central displays, operationally, are similar but the Peugeot gets the slightly more upmarket touch control panel underneath the display.

The quality of all the interior materials won’t be found lacking regardless of the car you prefer.

I did, however, record that both of these cars caused AppleCarPlay to freeze on me and a full switch-off was the only way to reset it.
There was an automatic petrol engine in the 308 with a manual diesel in the Astra.

The petrol engine is a stalwart of quite a few cars in the Stellantis arsenal, there’s even one in Chez Walshe, and with 130bhp is an ample amount of power.

The Astra’s diesel was a revelation in terms of performance but even better with fuel return where I managed 4.9l/100kms. Diesel is dead? Let’s see.

You’d need the feet of Nikki Lauda to sense the difference in terms of handling with both of these cars, as there are quite a few similarities.
I’ve written before that Opel had cornered the comfort element of a car and praised their absorbing suspension arrangements.

Peugeot are famous for knowing a trick or two in this space as well, so the combined knowledge of both shines here in these cars to produce incredible levels of driver comfort.
Spirited driving won’t test that comfort too much either and drivers of these cars will be quite reassured.

Both cars have decent boots with the 361litres of the 308 shaving a victory over the Astra’s 352litres.
Pricing is where it gets interesting.

The cheapest 308 starts at €31,765 whereas €27,995 get you the entry Astra albeit a manual gearbox and is down 20hp at 110hp.

Peugeot are not bringing in a manual as the majority of cars now sold are automatic and all electric cars are automatic so they have drawn a line in the sand.

Opel don’t see it that way despite being part of the same overall group and see a market for manuals with sufficient power.

I’m on the side of Opel in this one and see their 110HP model flying out being chosen over their 130hp model.
Which would I pick? It really isn’t that easy.

Peugeot must have been anointed within Stellantis as the upmarket brand as the interior is so, so good.

Opel gets to use all the good engineering and technology stuff but is a smidgen behind the Peugeot in terms of quality.

That’s not a bad thing, just a statement of fact.
Where this has happened before was with Skoda and we are all seeing how that’s ending with Skoda relentlessly increasing sales here.

That’s how I see this battle going and the Astra will outsell the 308 but if I had the money I’d be in the 308, just.