Peugeot 308 Hybrid

It’s been almost two years since we saw the 308 Hybride concept at Frankfurt in 2007, but the world’s first diesel-electric hybrid is well on the way to production. Our sources have revealed a late 2010 unveil is on the cards, with the eco-hatch hitting showrooms a year after that.

As demonstrated on the Prologue concept in Paris last year, the all-wheel drive powertrain will feature a 1.6-litre HDi engine to turn the front wheels and an electric motor to turn the rears. The result is a 35 per cent improvement in fuel economy over a 2.0-HDi unit with similar reserves of power.