Peugeot 308 diesel-electric hybrid

First up, below is the only available photo (that we are aware of) of the new Peugeot 308’s interior and in our opinion this is one car that is best viewed from the inside. The new interior looks modern, clean and stylish in stark comparison to the exterior which just looks stoopid. Little is known about the specs but we do know that the lower spec models will feature a central information readout (under the little hood we assume) while the top-shelf models will feature a sat-nav screen.

Even more interesting than the interior are Peugeot’s plans for a diesel-electric hybrid 308. The planned hybrid dubbed HDi will feature a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel as well as an electric motor to drive the front wheels. We have mused before that diesels would be more suited to hybrid vehicles as they are more efficient and produce more torque than their petrol equivalents.

The Peugeot HDi will also feature standard hybrid fare such as stop/start technology and an all electric zero emission running mode that will allow the car to reach nearly 50km/h for limited periods of time. The HDi uses the kinetic energy produced during deceleration to assist with recharging the batteries much like the Prius and other hybrids.

The big news is the awesome efficiency figures achieved by the 308 HDi that make a Prius look rather pithweek. CO2 emissions are expected to be as low as 90g per km while fuel efficiency runs at an amazing 2.83 litres per 100km. No doubt when compared to a 1.6-litre petrol with a 1-inch exhaust the diesel will be positively lusty with power-a-plenty.

No pricing information is available yet but the HDi could be on sale in Europe as early as the second half of 2008.

Source:Auto Express