The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 34: Dec/Jan 2017/18 | Page 40

HILUX INVINCIBLE £ 289 + VAT
REVVED UP

PEUGEOT 308 SW: Decent pace & business space

@ DriveWrite
By and large though the Peugeot 308 Station Wagon with its vast boot has garnered praise across the board without generating a whole lot of excitement, if it were food the car would be a cheese sandwich or a fruit bun; no real taste sensations, yet they deliver a feeling of being satisfied.
That’ s the thing about the 308 SW, it delivers on comfort, economy and space and is the ideal vehicle for getting the job done without fuss.
THE COMFORT This is a very comfy car inside and on the road. I cannot speak too highly of the ride. There’ s plenty of leg room for all and the seats are supportive as we have come to expect these days but what really impressed me was the ride at speed. Sure, it’ s a bit on the soft side generating a touch of body roll on the corners but once on the go there was a magic carpet feel to it.
Maybe a bit less assured at low speeds on our rotten roads but overall the Peugeot 308 SW scores very highly in the comfort stakes. For maximum benefit steer clear of bigger wheel options and stick with the standard fit because those fat tyres help too.
The boot is big and I mean BIG. The 308’ s huge tailgate may be a bit of a challenge for smaller folk, but open it and the 660L space yawns before you like Kent’ s Cavern. It is the
biggest in this sector plus as ever the back seats split and fold.
Once again, Peugeot offer their patented i-cockpit, which now appears across the whole model range. There’ s not a lot to say about it really: It is smart, clean and uncluttered although the small steering wheel continues to divide opinion. It works well on this car because the drive itself is relaxed; no speed thrills here, this is a motor to relax in and eat up the miles.
THE LOOKS As you can see from the images the car is
sleek and I guess you could call it elegant but for me at least it isn’ t a car I would look back at when walking away. I’ m sorry to say this because I am a usually a big fan of estate cars, often preferring them to their hatchback siblings. Not in this case, although the posh GT versions do look a little more sporty to be fair.
THE POWER There’ s a wide variety of engines to suit all purposes, driving through five or six-speed manual gearboxes( our test car came with a six) or the six-speed Peugeot Efficient Automatic Transmission( EAT) which would be my choice for the car as tested.
The best engine depends on need and usage. For those who are forsaking the Devil Diesel because of all the rather unfair hype then you can have 1.2L 3-cylinder engine with either 110 or 130bhp output. The more powerful version is excellent plus it comes with a six-speed.
Otherwise there’ s a couple of diesels on offer for those long range trips. The test car
had a 1.6L BlueHDi 120bhp engine with handy Stop / Start. It was very good. A touch diesel-y on start up and in low gear pulls but it soon quietens down to a remarkably peaceful hush on the go.
The Peugeot 308 SW in this form would make a great car for the business traveller. Eschewing leather and fancy trim options you can get this model for a very reasonable £ 22k. On a long run we saw 70 + mpg and you can’ t say fairer than that especially with CO ² at a modest 88g / km. This also reflects well on it’ s use as a family car too. BIK rates are 20 % right now rising to 22 % in 2018 / 19.
It will still hot-foot it to 62mph in a sprightly ten seconds but it is no racer. It is as I have described; a very good car indeed for people who just want a very good car that will do the job without attracting too much attention or frightening the horses.
Written by Geoff Maxted www. drivewrite. co. uk
HILUX INVINCIBLE £ 289 + VAT
per month *( Business users only)
£ 1,734
initial rental + VAT
18 " alloy wheels
Auto air conditioning
LED headlights
Smart Entry & Push-button start

More than a pick-up. A legend.

Fish Brothers Toyota Penzance Drive, Churchward Park Swindon SN5 7RX Tel: 01793 467 525
fishbros. toyota. co. uk
/ FishBrothersSwindonLtd @ FB _ Toyota
Hilux Invincible 2.4 3.5t D-4D 150 DIN hp Manual. Official Fuel Consumption Figures in mpg( l / 100km): Urban 34.4( 8.2), Extra Urban 44.8( 6.3), Combined 40.4( 7.0). CO2 Emissions 185g / km. All mpg and CO2 figures quoted are sourced from official EU regulated laboratory test results. These are provided to allow comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect your actual driving experience.
Model shown is Hilux Invincible 2.4 3.5t D-4D 150 DIN hp Manual at £ 26,106.84 + VAT. Price excludes metallic paint at £ 454.17 + VAT. * Business users only. Initial rental and VAT applies. Available on new leases of model shown when ordered and proposed for finance between 2nd October 2017 and 17th December 2017, registered and financed by 31st March 2018 through Toyota Financial Services on Toyota Contract Hire. Advertised rental is based on a 36 month non-maintained contract at 8,000 miles per annum with an initial rental of £ 1,734 + VAT. Excess mileage charges apply. Metallic or pearlescent paint are not included. You will not own the vehicle. Other finance offers are available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. Offer may be varied or withdrawn at any time. At participating Toyota Centres. Toyota Centres are independent of Toyota Financial Services. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. Finance subject to status to over 18s only. Toyota Financial Services( UK) PLC. Registered Office: Great Burgh, Burgh Heath, Epsom, KT18 5UZ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Terms and conditions apply.
408003 THE _ 210x122 BUSINESS _ Q4 _ 2017 EXCHANGE _ Fleet _ Hilux 2017 Invincible _ Fish Bros. indd 1 15 / 11 / 2017 14:58