The Peugeot e-308 is a small fully electric vehicle that sits between the compact e-208 and 508 saloon. While it’s extremely stylish and fun to drive, it lacks the practicality, electric range and performance of its rivals.
Its audio system is also quite basic, there’s only a six-speaker system available in all trim levels. At the time of writing and in the UK, there’s no option to upgrade the fully electric model. Quite surprising as the regular 308 has the Focal upgrade available in the GT trim as an £810 option.
Click here to read the full Peugeot e-308 review
Peugeot e-308 audio setup
To tinker with the vehicle’s audio settings, one has to navigate to the appropriate menu on the 10″ infotainment system – here are our optimal settings:
- Ambience Sound: Dynamic
- Treble: +2
- Mid: +1
- Bass: +1
- Balance & Fader: Centre
To connect to the vehicle’s system, you can use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto over a wired or wireless connection. There is also Bluetooth, but the lowest-quality SBC codec is supported only. Therefore, to get the best audio fidelity we would recommend using the aforementioned mobile operating systems over a wireless or better still, wired connection.
As for your media controls, they can be accessed through the display, via the volume knob located underneath the screen or by using the buttons found on the steering wheel.
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Peugeot e-308 audio performance
For a demo of the Peugeot e-308’s audio system, head on over to our YouTube channel.
When it comes to its audio configuration, there are 165mm woofers found within each of the four doors and 25 mm tweeters located within the A-pillars. The total wattage hasn’t been provided by the manufacturer, however, we do know that it has a “Class D 4x20W digital amplifier”, which would suggest that the system has over 80 Watts of power.
The omission of a subwoofer means that pronounced low-end rumble is missing in Jack Harlow’s single titled ‘Lovin On Me’. The speakers positioned within each of the doors try their best to reproduce a sub-bass extension but ultimately fail to provide that much-needed rumble.
On the other hand, the system’s mid-bass presence is hearty, providing a good amount of life in the lower-end frequency range. Adding one notch to the Bass EQ helps elevate the bass slams. The mid-bass impact is also precise and controlled, unlike the Jeep Avenger, another one of Stellantis’ vehicles, which suffers from rattle and a slightly wobbly mid-bass impact.
Unsurprisingly, that low-end presence does impact the mid-range tones, namely the lower mids. Vocals are recessed and pushed back. You might be tempted to tinker with the Mid EQ, but this will negatively impact the overall accuracy – to ensure vocals are as the artist intends, we’d suggest not adding more than one notch to the Mid EQ.
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As for the highs, they extend well at the front of the cabin due to the inclusion of dedicated tweeters. With two notches added onto the Treble EQ, cymbals have that sparkle, with classical songs benefitting from a lively top-end. However, the same couldn’t be said at the rear of the cabin, as the lack of tweeters has its hindrance on the top end. The e-308’s sound signature can therefore be described as V-shaped.
As for the overall soundstage reproduction, it’s competent. There is a good degree of instrument separation, however, the system is let down by the number of speakers. Indeed, music sounds a bit uni-directional, with the e-308’s six-speaker configuration struggling to provide a fulfilling audio experience. You’ll be left wanting a bit more dynamism.
Finally, onto cabin noise, the Peugeot e-308 is relatively well insulated with an acoustically tinted windscreen that comes as standard across the trim range. There is a little bit of tyre noise that can be heard at higher speeds, but in the grander scheme of things, it’s minimal. Using a sound meter we recorded the following: 35-36 dBA at a standstill; 56-60 dBA while driving at 20-30mph; 61-64 dBA while driving at 40mph; and 70-74 dBA when at 70mph.
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TotallyEV’s verdict on the Peugeot e-308’s audio system
Overall, the stock six-speaker setup in the Peugeot e-308 provides a lively listening experience, with a decent reproduction in the mid-bass and high-frequency tones. As a result, it receives TotallyEV’s Approved Audio award.
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However, it fails to stand out over some of its rivals and given its asking price, it’s quite disappointing that the Focal audio system doesn’t come included as standard. At the very least, the Focal upgrade should have been available as an option for those opting for the fully electric 308 but alas, at the time of writing and in the UK, it’s not.
What do you make of the e-308’s audio system? Let us know in the comments section below or via social media; we’re on: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
