Peugeot has a long history of creating sporty hatchback’s, but what about estates? Well, perhaps not so much, but as this SW is firmly based on the 308 hatch, we wouldn’t let the elongated boot put us off. In fact, an extra dose of space could make this an even better fast family car than the hatchback.

You might think such a niche model would be in a class of one, but actually the Peugeot faces very stiff competition. The Focus ST Estate, SEAT Leon ST FR and Golf GTD Estate all come with a 2.0-litre diesel producing around 180bhp and oodles of torque.

Performance

Choose the 308 GT in SW estate guise and you’ll also have to have the 2.0-litre diesel with 178bhp and an automatic gearbox - the 202bhp petrol engine is limited to the hatchback GT. It’s a shame Peugeot doesn’t offer the choice, but in reality, it shouldn’t affect too many UK buyers, because the petrol versions of rivals tend to sell in small numbers.

That’s partly because of diesel’s economy advantage, while a rippling 400NM of torque also makes the GT an effortless long-distance tourer. Acceleration from 0-62mph takes 8.6 seconds, but perhaps a more useful figure is its lunge from 50-70mph in 5.5 seconds in fifth gear. Press the ‘Sport’ button and the gearbox is sharper, the dials turn red and most amusingly, the speakers emit a synthesised V8 rumble as you accelerate.

The six-speed automatic isn’t quite as quick to respond to paddle shifts as the double-clutch found in the Golf GTD with DSG, but this also means it’s happier to blur shifts when crawling in low speed traffic. Our main gripe is its tendency to downshift if you accelerate hard, even when it’s in manual mode, taking some control away from the driver.

Ride and Handling

Its chassis has been honed, with suspension between ten and 20 per cent stiffer

The GT is best thought of as a fully-loaded top-of-the-range model, rather than a hot hatch (or estate in this case). But, its chassis has been honed, with suspension between ten and 20 per cent stiffer than the standard 308, and increased braking power. The result is a car with greater precision and grip, but which retains most of the comfort found in versions lower in the 308 range. This pays dividends in real-world situations, but if you are after a true driver’s car, you’ll need to wait for the release of the 308 GTI. Or, you could go for the Golf GTD Estate, which manages to feel just a touch more planted and boasts an XDS electrical system which can trim your line through corners.  We also found the small steering wheel in the 308 an acquired taste, particularly as it’s so heavily weighted in ‘Sport’ mode.

Interior and Equipment

The 308 GT is available in an exclusive colour called ‘Magnetic Blue’, which pays tribute to the hue historically reserved for French racing cars

The interior gets a subtle makeover, with ‘GT’ logos found around the cabin, most noticeably at the bottom of the feelsome (and tiny) leather steering wheel, along with an anthracite black headlining. The gauges have a chequered flag background and there are dashes of aluminium covering the pedals and door sills, touches which nicely negotiates the middle ground between ‘sporty’ and ‘over-the-top’. Talking of the latter, some take issue with Peugeot’s i-Cockpit arrangement, because the steering wheel can block your view of the instruments. Luckily the seat does have lots of height adjustment, so it’s normally something you can work around. Performance add-ons haven’t harmed the boot, which is still ahead of rivals, with 660 litres, expanding to 1,660 litres if you fold the rear seats down.

Cost

This means the high-performance GT costs just £20 in annual road tax

We’ve already mentioned that the diesel engine is sure to attract buyers, and it’s the 68.9mpg and 107g/km of CO2 headline figures which grab the most attention. This means the high-performance GT costs just £20 in annual road tax (VED). You will need a very light right foot, however, as we averaged fuel economy in the mid-40s according to the on-board trip computer. The SW GT starts from just under £27,000, so it undercuts the Volkswagen Golf Estate GTD by around £1,500, while it’s more costly than the entry-level Focus ST Estate diesel. Despite costing the most, we’d also expect the Golf to retain its value the best, although recent Peugeot models have improved in this respect.

Our Verdict

The abbreviation GT stands for ‘Grand Tourer’, which is actually a pretty good description of the 308 SW GT. It’s torquey diesel engine and supple suspension means it’s well-suited to covering long distances at a quick pace.  It’s not perfect though, we’re still not completely sure about Peugeot’s small steering wheel strategy, and the infotainment system can be quite fiddly to use. Still, look past these quirks, and you have the ingredients of a very good car.