THERE’S a trend, particularly in the US, of adding fake internal combustion engine noises to electric cars, especially those with a sporty ethos.
BY BRIAN BYRNE
So the Hyundai Ioniq 5N performance version has a traditional rally car sound pumped through speakers, an upcoming Dodge Charger EV will run digital V8 sounds out through dual ‘exhaust’ pipes, and Mercedes-Benz have developed an engine ‘roar’ for their G-Wagen EV.
As yet, most of the mid-market EVs in Europe haven’t gone down this aural road, sticking with the mandated pedestrian warning hums at low speeds. It’s all about trying to give the switcher to EV who still hankers after their old combustion motors a bit of nostalgia to hang on to.
And it’s not just about sounds — Toyota is working on a simulated manual gear shift that mimics changing gears in an electric car, which by its nature doesn’t have selectable gears. Not really a new concept, I remember carmakers adding artificial ‘shift points’ to their non-shifting CVT automatics so that owners could get those tiny adrenalin ‘rushes’ that come with gear-changing.
I thought about all this while recently driving the electric version of Peugeot’s 308 hatchback.
Wondering why would anyone bother to want artificial engine noises and simulated gear-shifting when one of the key joys of an EV is silent smooth travel? Aren’t these just the 2024 equivalent of sticking ‘go-faster’ stripes on your bog-standard Vauxhall Viva of the 1970s to make it look like a rally power machine? Disclosure: I owned a couple of Viva estates, but I didn’t do the go-faster stripes. I did install uprated rear shock absorbers, but that was because I was regularly carrying full loads of whiskey and gin for the family pub business, to get the ‘collect’ discount.
The Peugeot 308 in its third generation has been around since 2022, so the shape is familiar.
A compact family hatchback with a low and sleek look and good aerodynamics, it sits in a space that used to be the biggest selling segment but which has now all but been driven off the road by the crossover-SUV trend. All current Peugeots are smart-looking and the 308 offers its own distinctive take on the latest front style of the lion brand.
This is the first time I’ve had a 308 in red, and it really does give the car a stand-out character. The high bonnet line has to do with pedestrian safety and could have looked frumpish, but doesn’t.
There’s a fair bit going on in the car’s angles and curves and character lines, but the overall sense is aesthetically pleasant to me. Short overhangs suggest a longish interior, which is actually true as the car has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor generation.
That inside has a similarly stylish treatment, with what I regard as among the most ergonomically successful driver area layouts. The high-set driver information display we’re now familiar with from all Peugeot models, combining with the hexagonal small steering wheel to eliminate having to look down and through the wheel. The infotainment centre screen is neatly integrated, not extending above the dashboard line as so many do now, and I like it this way. The graphics are all bright and clear, the driver ones switchable to different formats. A mix of real switches and permanent electronic ones make operating climate and sound levels easy. The transmission selector is that neat flick-switch type I’ve promoted before as an exemplar for other carmakers.
The review car was the GT specification, so there was some sporty contrasting stitch detail in the seats and doors trim and steering wheel. The seats themselves are comfortable, those in the back offering decent legroom thanks to the extra wheelbase. The boot is reasonable considering both the electric and the plug-in hybrid versions encroach on capacity, with 361L compared to the standard petrol version’s 412L. With the rear seats folded there’s a good flat length.
On the road, the extra weight of the battery doesn’t appreciably impact on ride and handling, and the suspension copes well with most of the surfaces around where I live. The smooth acceleration from the 154hp electric system isn’t geared towards fast sprints, perhaps to extend range by not offering a tempting hot hatch experience.
The quietness I mentioned earlier is there, albeit making road noise seem a little louder. The joys of automatic driving, for me, are part of what is an overall pleasant and coherent experience.
Range was as expected from the 51kWh battery, nominally 418km and actually 337km as calculated from a 60km commute. There are zippier and longer-distance options in the segment, but the Peugeot has everyday panache.
