Peugeot charged ahead, and three months after it launched the third generation of the 308 hatchback in March 2021, it introduced the SW version as well.
First of all, Peugeot said that the SW letters were from Sports Wagon, not from the station wagon. Just by looking at the car’s shape, it might be easier to understand why. The French carmaker traded trunk space for looks and created a design that could bring more friends than foes.

The design team took its inspiration from the 3008 crossover SUV with a front fascia that featured LED “fangs.” Its prominent mesh grille looked more aggressive than any of its predecessors, while the LED headlights peeked under the hood line. The SW’s profile revealed a cab-rearward design with raked-forward C-pillars and rear windscreen. Its third side window was sloped-down and created the image of a shooting-brake, despite the four doors.

The interior looked like its designers didn’t communicate with those who shaped the car’s exterior. While the 308 featured long, curved lines on the outside, the minimalist dashboard exposed straight lines, hard edges, and F-117 Stealth style surfaces. The steering wheel was unusually low-mounted compared to the instrument cluster. Its instrument cluster featured a TFT display for the instrument panel and a secondary touch-screen for the infotainment screen. Thanks to the increased wheelbase, the 308 SW provided more rear legroom than the hatchback version. Its 40/20/40 split-bench expanded the trunk space from 608 liters (21.5 cu-ft) to 1,634 liters (58 cu-ft).

Under the hood, the carmaker promised a choice of gasoline, turbo-diesel, and hybrid systems that could offer up to 225 hp sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic.