Peugeot 304 Break SL and 308 SW. Looking for the brand genes. Part one: the design

For two weeks we have the Peugeot 308 SW Allure Pack Business Hybrid 180. We put this one on a beautiful Saturday Plug-in hybrid opposite one of its ancestors: the Peugeot 304 Break SL. You will soon read a lot more about the classic Peugeot in our magazine. But now we're traveling through time. And in two companies we are looking for the historic brand values, to which Peugeot attaches so much value. Next week you will read a driving impression of both Peugeots. Today you will read part one, in which we discuss the design.

In 1978 the Peugeot 304 Break was available as a GL (from 1976 the successor of the very similar 204 Break) and as an SL (from mid-1976 the successor of the first 304 Break). The GL was available in 1978 with three engines (which depended on the market). The XK5 1127 cc engine from the 1976, which had been discontinued since 204, the XL5 engine with 1290 cc and the 1357 cc diesel engine. The Break SL was only available with the XL5 engine. Across the board, the Peugeot 304 Break was a long-runner. It debuted as a luxury station in 1970, but it dates back to 1965 when Peugeot introduced the 204 Break. This went out of production in 1976, the 304 Break lasted until 1980. In total, the 204-304 Break concept was built for fifteen years. And that is an end.

Beautiful 304 Break SL as a classic sparring partner

Bert Hoekman and Ulko Gosma have owned their 304 Break SL for twenty-six years. The Peugeot painted in Beige Perle Métallisé will make its appearance in the magazine publication of Auto Motor Klassiek, and carries a beautiful history. So much more on that later. The French Break is still in decent condition, and also belongs to the last series of 304 models, which you can recognize by the small black hub caps on the hubcaps without rims. This last series ran from the summer of 1977. It received, among other things, the McPherson front train. This is wider than on the Peugeot 304 up to model year 1978. The sight of the reportage Peugeot is captivating. Subdued and beautifully drawn sharp lines draw the silhouette of the Break, who looks out at the world with large Sophia Loren eyes. The design of the 304 Break is balanced, and slightly different from what was common at the time.

Quirky interior

You can also see that typical design individuality in the interior, which presents itself with modest luxury to the occupants. The dashboard is slender, and subtly luxuriously finished. You can let the ventilation grilles in the middle come out of the dashboard with a lever. The instrument cluster with three clocks is delicate, the gear lever adorns the steering column. Peugeot installed fine fabrics and materials at the time, the panels on the doors look beautiful and the loading floor is finished with imitation wood. Handy: when the rear seat is folded, a small partition moves forward, creating a flat loading floor. The front seats promise a lot of comfort within the remarkably cozy passenger compartment. And a preliminary study of the control buttons and levers shows that Peugeot did not take it too closely with the standard ergonomic values. Everything is slightly different, and sometimes just not within reach. And that also feeds the individualistic character of this classic and very sympathetic Peugeot.

308 in crowded market spectrum

The 308 SW, which we believe is very beautifully drawn, is a distant heir of the equally subtly ravishing 304 Break. The time travel from the classic to the newcomer takes us - unsurprisingly - to another world. It is not easy for a station today within the spectrum in which so many (practical and high) body styles have appeared in recent years. And that also applies to the powertrains, which nowadays also electric and semi-electric to the favor of the buyer. Within such a market spectrum and a busy Peugeot/Stellantis (don't forget Opel) middle program, it was quite a challenge for the design department led by Sébastien Croquet to create a striking car.

Design Features

What about our 308 SW painted in Bleu Avatar stands out because of the stretched, profiled and dynamic lines, which are accompanied by the necessary angles at the front and rear. The station wagon c-segment grew over the decades, but d-segment values, you can also see that with the 308 SW. You can not speak of a modest design with the 308 SW; chief designer Sébastien Criquet created a car that stands out within a crowded market spectrum. Yet there are similarities with the past. As with the 304, the bulky grille stands out. The type plate is - just like the Peugeots of yesteryear - on the nose, and that was always a very subtle feature. The Sophia Loren headlights on the 304 are a relic of the past that we also saw on the 504. But Peugeot has subtly reverted to the double headlights of the 504 Coupé and Cabriolet in several models. With the 308 you see that too. They run diagonally downwards from the outside in, the front follows that line - just like with the 304.

tusks

Under the headlights you can't miss the pointy lighting units in the shape of tusks (Peugeot is a Lion brand). The example of slick design marketing makes every contemporary Peugeot very recognizable. At the back you see proportioned crowds, and two rear light units that seem to be made up of three separate units. That is also a nod to the Peugeot past. The front and rear embrace the long and firmly profiled center section. That also makes the 308 SW recognizable, as the Berlinebroer has a more pronounced character.

Workplace

When you enter the workplace you immediately know which brand of car you are in. The slim-looking and slightly chic dashboard at the top with the multi-adjustable and digital i-cockpit, the small (and, as it turns out, surprisingly pleasant) steering wheel and the infotainment panel with various operating functions. placed too far from the driver. However, you can configure the desired functions yourself with widgets (such as car info, telephone, media and climate control).

Design references to the past, connectivity all the way today

The aluminum trim strip on the dashboard is reminiscent of the Peugeots from the seventies, which is a nice detail that harks back to the past. It is also striking that the angular and sharp accents of the 308 SW exterior return to the interior. The quirky interior is a matter of taste, but we find its individualistic character very attractive. That own face fits in with the philosophy that Peugeot used to apply within its modeling policy: very beautifully designed, without excess. And before we forget: in terms of connectivity, the 308 SW is good. It has both Android and Apple Carplay, in addition, there are several charging options for the phone, both wirelessly and via a USB connection.

Luggage compartment 304 Break SL is more practical

Then the luggage compartment, we again make a comparison with the 304 Break SL. The wooden floor in the luggage compartment, which is so characteristic for the luxury 304 Break versions (including the first 304 Break, which was built from 70-76), can be found in vain in the 308 SW, which also has a neatly finished load space. But the 304 Break is a real station, the loading capacity is with 700 liters net really larger and in terms of design also more usable than that in the 308 SW. That of the 308 SW is very long, but shallow. The traction battery eats up 60 liters of space in the back compared to the regular petrol and diesel versions. But a net capacity of 548 liters (and with the rear seats folded, you can easily arrange with a button in the luggage compartment) is 1574 liters at your disposal. With the 304 Break you can increase the space to 1500 liters. With a handy intermediate piece you create a flat loading floor when the sofa is folded over, the sliding rails are not in the way for a moment.

304 and 308: both control circuits, with a wink

The entrance of the 308 SW promises a very low seat. Later it will become apparent that this is excellent, partly thanks to the excellent seats. The small steering wheel seems to be in the way, but in practice all functions within the instrumentation (which can be personalized in various capacities with various digital views) are perfectly visible. And on the steering wheel are paddle shifters, with which you can lend a hand to the self-learning EAT8 electronic automatic transmission. In that sense, this 308 SW also has control circuitry, but Peugeot is not unique in that. The comparison with the control circuit of the 304 Break is of course surrounded by a wink, many new machine has flippers on the steering wheel. Incidentally, you set the machine in terms of driving position with a minuscule switch on the beautiful and far backward continuous console. There you will also find the buttons for the three driving modes (Electric, Sport, Hybrid).

Nice piece of design

And non-conventional: that is what Peugeot has always characterized over the years. The 204, grafted so strongly on the 304, was recognizable from the start as a Peugeot. With the 308, that is the case on a number of parts. You can see that at the front, at the rear and within the interior. In that sense, designer Sébastien Criquet succeeded well in integrating the historical values ​​within the last 308 and reserving a distinctive design for the tenth 30# generation. And in the current zeitgeist - in which consumers demand completely different cars and the requirements have become much stricter - this is a major achievement.

Soon in part two: the driving characteristics of the 304 Break SL and the 308 SW Allure Pack Business.

Photography: Bart Spijker