The Peugeot 308 plug-in hybrid now has 60 miles of electric-only range and more power

The Peugeot 308 is getting a new plug-in hybrid powertrain and a bigger battery, allowing for a few more fresh, crispy, fully-electric miles.

There's a bigger 17.2kWh battery (up from 12.4kWh) which means range increases from 41 to 60 miles for the 308 hatch, and up to 59 miles in the 308 estate (SW). Its 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine has also had a little boost and now produces 197bhp – up from 180bhp – and is matched to a 123bhp electric motor.

That lot is then mated to a brand-new seven-speed 'box, hopefully ironing out the niggles of the current transmission.

Elsewhere, the bigger, swoopier 408 has been treated to a boost, too, with the same embiggened battery matched to the car's 226bhp petrol 4cyl drivetrain. In this 408, the electric-only range increases from 40 to 57 miles.

The new 308 hybrid is available now, with prices from £38,110. The electrified 408 will cost from £41,500 but you'll have to hold your horses until mid-March.

In other Peugeot news, a five-seater variant of the 5008 is now available. By getting rid of the two rearmost seats, the boot space will grow to a voluminous 2310 litres, for families that find it impossible to pack lightly.

Improvements have also been made to the all-electric models, where battery preconditioning has been decoupled from cabin heating. Now, the trip computer automatically tells the battery to start warming so when charging begins, the battery charges faster and is more protected from damage.

But what about protecting you from the world of EVs? To take the worry out of buying an electric car, Peugeot promises to swap your EV to a hybrid if you really don’t get on with the all-electric experience... but it's only available in France. Terms and conditions, of course, will apply, but sources say it might come to the UK if successful, so that's one to watch.