Design facelift
Design driven: 2026 Peugeot 308
Sporting a facelift, Car Design News took the Peugeot 308 out for a spin on the Portuguese coast
Experiencing sunshine in late November is always a welcome surprise for a Brit, and the refreshed Peugeot 308 seems to carry a similar lift in mood. At first glance, the car doesn’t seem all too different from the original model, but looking closer, Peugeot has introduced a handful of design tweaks that refine the car’s character without straying too far from the existing design language.
The coastal roads near Lisbon – where dramatic cliffs, foaming waves and compact terracotta towns frame every bend – offer an ideal setting to judge the impact of these changes.
The new 308 and 308 SW arrive with a choice of four powertrains (electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and diesel) and five trims (Style, Allure, GT, GT Exclusive and Business) – all made at the Mulhouse plant. Car Design News’ choice? The GT of course – who could resist the contrast stitching.
So, what’s new?
Exterior design
We sampled the GT edition in red, though the colour plays second fiddle to the redesigned face. Peugeot’s staple three-claw lighting signature has been turned sideways, stretching confidently across the face, accompanied for the first time by an illuminated Peugeot logo.
The headlights themselves have been dropped lower into the bumper, deliberately taking a supporting role to the new lighting signature. On the GT and GT Exclusive models, these are Matrix LED lights; other trims receive standard LEDs. When the car comes to a standstill, the headlights sit almost camouflaged in the sculpted bumper, reinforcing the more technical, electrified aesthetic Peugeot is pursuing.
Peugeot has clearly worked to visually widen the stance. A reinforced shoulder line now runs from the front wings to the car’s nose, giving the 308 a more grounded posture. The lower bumper’s trapezoidal form helps anchor the car to the road while channelling airflow cleanly into the wheel arches to aid aerodynamics. The grille, now body-coloured with hot-stamped detailing, ties the 308 more closely to the brand’s latest design generation, smoothing the transition between metalwork and intake.
But the lighting signature is the most expressive change: three slim LED claws that serve as daytime running lights and indicators. It introduces a sharper, more assertive personality – one that hints, though modestly, at the ambition seen in Peugeot’s Polygon concept.
Wheel options include 17-inch diamond-cut alloys on the Allure trim and 18-inch versions for the GT and GT Exclusive trim, and all electric variants receiving the 18-inch set as standard. A new Lagoa Blue joins the colour palette – aligning with the rising popularity of bolder blues in Peugeot’s recent range, including the Obsession Blue introduced on the 3008.
Interior design
Inside, the updates are even more subtle. The 308 retains its 10-inch central touchscreen, Alcantara and aluminium surfaces, digital instrument cluster and eight-colour ambient lighting. The most notable revision is the new 3D graphics for the instrument cluster, which add a sense of depth even if their functional advantage over standard displays is minimal.
Material quality remains generally strong, though some areas – particularly sections of the door panels – feel more plasticky than the exterior design language might lead you to expect. It doesn’t derail the cabin experience, but it slightly softens the premium impression Peugeot seems to be aiming for.
On the road
Along the winding coastal route west of Lisbon, the 308 proved easy and intuitive to drive. The screens avoid feeling overwhelming and are easy enough to navigate, with a simple block formation layout and symbols that are easy to recognise at a glance. The 3D cluster, while visually interesting, serves more as a design flourish than adding any functional value.
The compact steering wheel features contrast stitching that feels pleasingly tactile and the wheel is well-judged for relaxed driving. The overall experience is composed and well suited to tracing cliffside curves and dipping into small seaside towns.
As the late-autumn sun dropped behind the Atlantic, the 308’s refreshed lighting signature came into its own, cutting a crisp profile against the coastline. Much like the unexpected Portuguese sunshine in November, the facelift doesn’t transform the experience, but it does bring a welcome addition – subtle, considered and pointing the 308 gently towards Peugeot’s evolving design language.
