British summertime seems to be a bit
of a let-down. Its name would suggest long periods of gloriously sunny, warm
weather - perfect for trips to one of the UKs many beaches or perhaps a
barbeque in the garden. Or so you would think. Despite our questionable weather, sales of
convertibles have always remained strong; in fact British sun seekers buy more
drop-tops than many countries with much warmer climates.
Traditionally convertibles have made
do with fabric roofs but in the last decade folding hard-tops have become a
must-have. It all started with Mercedes who launched their SLK with a folding
metal roof – closely followed by Peugeot with their 206 CC which brought the
concept to the masses thanks to its affordability.
In April last year Peugeot face
lifted its 308 family which included its folding hardtop Coupe-Cabriolet to
keep it looking fresh. With a host of rivals gunning for sales including
Volkswagen’s recently launched Golf Cabriolet what does the 308 CC still have
to offer? We find out
What is it?
 |
| 307 CC (library image) |
Rivals: Vauxhall Astra TwinTop, Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet, Renault Megane Cabriolet
Key Features
- 2 Part Electric
Folding Retractable Roof
- 18” Alloy Wheels
- Dual-Zone Climate
Control
- Cruise Control
- Peugeot Connect
Navigation
- ABS, EBFD, EBA
& ESP
- Heated, Powerfold
Door Mirrors
- Leather Interior
- Electric Heated
Seats with Airwave Scarf
- Front & Rear
Parking Sensors
We have already seen the new face of the 308 when we drove the Oxygo hatchback recently and its carried over to the CC unchanged and is all the better for it. We were never keen on the old cars “gaping-mouth” grill as it was simply too big and gawky. The new cars nose is fantastic pasted onto the CC looking sleek and sophisticated perfectly in-tune with the rest of the CCs styling
From the A-pillar rearwards the CC shares not one single body panel with its siblings so buyers get a much lower, sleeker front windscreen and a really rather attractive rear end. Folding hard-tops have traditionally had large, ungainly backsides to accommodate the cumbersome roof neatly in the boot but Peugeot seem to have hidden the bulk well. The angular rear LED lights curve nicely around the sides of the car and a racy looking rear diffuser creeps up from underneath the bumper reducing a lot of the visual bulk. There are also chrome highlights all over the place and a neat ducktail spoiler, not forgetting our cars macho looking 18” alloy wheels. It’s a very attractive and premium looking car that is far more than a 308 with its roof cut off and whilst with us received lots of attention.
Open the extremely
long, heavy doors and you are greeted with a seriously plush interior. We have
already praised the interior of the basic 308 but the CC especially in Allure
trim really is a lovely place to spend time. The basic dashboard is standard
308 fare with it’s neatly laid out angled centre console and classy dials
brought together with lashings of soft-touch plastics, chrome and leather. Running
your hands over any interior surface reveals not a single cheap piece of trim –
it’s that good.
The seats are also as near to perfect as you will find on a car in this price-range, not only do they look great but they are supremely comfortable and incorporate Peugeot’s Airwave Scarf technology which gently blows warm air onto the front seat passenger’s necks in colder weather. The front seats are also electrically adjustable with the driver’s seat having two memory functions.
As you would expect
rear seat passengers aren’t treated to the same executive levels of luxury as
those in the front. The seats themselves are comfortable enough but getting to
them with the roof up isn’t easy and space is severely lacking. Legroom is
passable but headroom makes the seats almost useless for adults if driving with
the roof up. 
Boot space is actually
pretty decent at 465 litres with the roof in place and the massive opening
makes loading items easy. With the roof down it shrinks to 266 litres and
luggage has to be posted through a slim opening between the folded roof and the
boot floor. Whilst with us we found the best way to use the space was to load
the boot – we fitted my daughter’s travel cot, buggy and bags in – pull the
canopy over then lower the roof. To get the items out the roof had to be raised
again. It is a minor inconvenience considering the benefits. Put simply the 308 CCs roof is a work of art. In around 20 seconds you can go from sleek coupe to sexy convertible at the touch of a button. Watching the whole process never gets boring as the series of motors fold and pivot the roof and relevant sections neatly away in an origami-type fashion. It can also be operated at speeds of up to 7.5 mph if needed. Once the roof is down the driver can lower all of the side windows for the ultimate wind in the hair experience. There were lots of opportunities to drive the car around with its roof down during its time with us thanks to temperatures in the late twenties- it’s what it does best. We even managed to give the Airwave Scarfe seats a thorough testing when temperatures at night-time dropped to ten degrees and they work perfectly well.
Expecting a
CC to ride and handle with poise and precision would be a mistake as the car it’s
based on is some way off the best in class. Despite this the added weight of
the cars body results in a comfortable ride most of the time making it a great
long distance companion. Grip levels are
also good. It all starts to fall apart when you ask the car to deal with bumps
and corners at the same time – on country roads for example. For starters the decently
weighted steering is woefully numb making it hard to know what the front wheels
are doing and mid-corner bumps jolt through the steering column often knocking
the car of its given line. Ride quality quickly deteriorates as the cars weight
shifts around crashing over the smallest of undulations causing the rear end to
shimmy around thanks to its basic torsion beam. The CC is a perfectly pleasant
car if not driven enthusiastically
Words and Photos by Rob McSorley
Technical Data
Price
as tested: £28,600
Engine: 2.0 16v 163bhp - 0-62mph: 9.7 secs -
Maximum Speed: 129mph -
Economy: 37.6mpg (urban) –60.0mpg
(extra-urban), 49.5mpg (combined) -Emissions: 149g/km (Band F) -
VED (12 months): £120
If you are
in search of a stylish, well built, comfortable couple-cabriolet then the 308
CC is the perfect car for you. It’s an absolutely stunning looking car and
feels like a thoroughly premium product with build quality to shame much more
expensive cars on the market. Comfort and refinement levels are also extremely
good and in HDi form running costs will be of little worry. Peugeot’s Airwave
Scarf technology and heated seats also mean that top-down motoring is perfectly
feasible even in colder conditions. Where the package starts to struggle is
dynamically. The limitations of the 308s platform are only made worse by the
additional weight it has to lug around. Performance is decent enough but there
is no reward for pushing the car through challenging corners as it lacks
composure and agility. Although our car came we a handful of extra’s
(Pearlescent pain, Electric seats, Peugeot Connect Navigation) a basic asking
price of £26,845 is also steep. Luckily the way the CC makes you feel as you
cruise around with its top-down will make it a must-have for many.
You will like
Looks
Cabin
Quality
Refinement
Airwave
Scarf seats
You won’t like
High asking
price
Poor
handling
Cramped rear
seats
Numb
steering
Special Thanks to; Peugeot Motor Company PLC, Pinley House, 2 Sunbeam Way, Coventry CV3 1ND
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