AROUND 140 fleet managers and leasing companies have been given a Peugeot 306 estate to test over the next three months. The new car goes on sale on October 1 with a choice of five engines - 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 litre 16v petrol engines and 1.9 litre diesel and turbo diesel - and trim levels mirroring the best-selling hatchback and saloon ranges - L, LX, GLX and the sporty badged XS and DTurbo. Prices range from £12,355 on the road for the 1.4L rising to £15,580 for the 1.9DTurbo.

Air conditioning in lieu of a sunroof is a £350 option on every model except L badged cars with standard features including integral roof rails and a load area cover. Otherwise specification is similar to the established 306 range. The new estate - Peugeot's first in the lower medium sector for six years - plugs a major gap in the Coventry-based company's model line-up and gives the manufacturer its second estate car following the launch earlier this year of the 406 estate.

Peugeot expects to sell around 8,000 306 estate models next year with around 80% likely to be bought by companies and the majority of those vehicles will be diesel powered. Unlike estates launched recently by other manufacturers, Peugeot is marketing the new 306 estate firmly at the service sector.