The Motorist 03 | Page 8

Alcantara style buckets stitched in red. They are certainly not sore on the eyes or on the back, especially with the massage function. Don’t expect the feeling you get when pop over to the local Thai masseuse though, it’s not that great (or painful) but it works. This was my first experience with the 1.2 turbocharged petrol engine offered by Peugeot and I must say, I was impressed. Maybe the fact I thought it’s only 1.2 litres, I had little faith in it but it’s very eager to get going. Whether accelerating from the lights or cruising on the highway, you will not be short of usable power. Not all roses: As much as I have been praising this vehicle, there are negatives. Firstly, I struggled for a while with getting a comfortable seating position. I like to sit low in vehicles and I feel the lower bluster forced my legs up, which made operating the clutch somewhat difficult. Granted I am on the short side of the human size scale, which most likely didn’t help. I did eventually find a position I was okay with, but it still felt uncomfortable (Am I that oddly shaped?) The gearbox on this vehicle is okay too, it’s not brilliant but it’s not particularly bad either. I like a positive gearbox but found some changes to be a little notchy at times. These two little nigglies were the only issues I had with the 308. Overall the Peugeot 308 GT-Line is defi- nitely a vehicle to consider if you are in the market for a good-sized sporty hatch. The vehicle can come across as masculine but it has softer lines on it too, which come together quite well in the end. What might deter you though is the price of the 308 GT-Line at R357 900. There are other options out there, such as the standard 308 which comes in at R304 900. On the other end, if you have more money to spend you may consider the much faster 308 GT. This car gives you the full GT styling package and a tasty 1.6 THP motor producing 151kw. The only challenge is that you will start dipping in to the VW Golf GTI price range if you go this route as the Peugeot 308 GT starts at R399 900. Choose wisely. “Even the 9.7 inch screen has been designed into the dash fantastically” “The 308 GT Line instantly jumps out as the kind of car that would appeal to a youngish male, a mid 20’s to 30’s working professional ”