A facelift for the Peugeot 308 hatchback is due in Australia in the first half of 2026, the brand has confirmed, despite slow sales of the current model.
A facelift for the 2026 Peugeot 308 small car has debuted in Europe ahead of its Australian launch next year.
Due in local Peugeot showrooms in the first half of 2026, the new 308 features a revised front design with a new grille, bumper and split headlights – along with more driving range for the electric E-308.
The French car maker will likely be hoping the update helps revive the 308's fortunes, after just 57 were reported as sold so far this year – ahead of Rolls-Royce (41) but behind Bentley (68), Aston Martin (108) and Ferrari (121).
In the same period, Toyota reported 11,322 Corolla sales, while a closer rival to the 308's $48,990 price – the Volkswagen Golf – clocked up 1952 deliveries.
In Europe, the 308 receives an illuminated front Peugeot logo and a light strip across the top of its grille, while its revised front bumper has air intakes to direct the airflow towards the inside of the wheel arches.
The 308's headlights and daytime running lights are now split, with its low- and high-beam LED headlights positioned lower than before and a new three-claw design for its LED daytime running lights.
A Peugeot Australia spokesperson told Drive the 308 will arrive in Australia in the "first half of 2026" with its current 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol engine set to remain.
"Full local specifications, pricing, and model line-up details will be announced closer to launch," the spokesperson added.
Across the European-market range, there are refreshed 17- and 18-inch alloy wheel designs, while the 308 hatchback is now available in a new Lagoa Blue exterior colour.
The design changes have been applied to the 308 wagon – axed in Australia nearly 12 months ago – but it adds the Ingaro Blue finish from the 3008 and 5008 SUVs, instead of the hatch's Lagoa Blue.
Other revisions include new 3D graphics for its digital instrument cluster, while the electric E-308 hatch and wagon is now rated with a 450-kilometre driving range on the European WLTP lab-test standard, up from 400 kilometres.
The E-308 is not expected to return to local showrooms in the immediate future after Peugeot Australia offered 14 examples of the current model at $65,990 drive-away, more than a Tesla Model 3 sedan.
Peugeot Australia later reduced its price by $6000, taking it to $59,990 drive-away, with one brand-new example – claimed to be the "last E-308" – still available at a dealership near Melbourne's CBD.
The current, petrol-powered Peugeot 308 starts from $48,990 before on-road costs for the GT Hybrid hatch, which has a 100kW/230Nm 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged mild-hybrid petrol engine.
More Australian details on the 2026 Peugeot 308 hatch will be confirmed closer to its launch in the first half of next year.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
