- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.6T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
115kW, 240Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 7.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2011)
Peugeot 508 Review
The new Peugeot 508 is a proper prestige luxury car – at a Japanese price-point
- Prestige, sharp pricing, excellent build quality and refinement, safety, dynamics and great ride
- Poor steering feel on Allure, harsh ride on GT, head-up display on GT a bit of an afterthought, space-saver spare on GT
It’s unlikely the Japanese mid-size carmakers, or all that many of the prestige European brands, will be especially overjoyed about the new Peugeot 508. That’s mainly because the Peugeot 508 is such a good all-rounder, and on sale at such sharp pricing.
The 508 is targeted squarely at the likes of the Volkswagen Passat, the Citroen C5 and the Skoda Superb – but it would also easily eclipse a ‘works burger’ Mazda6 or Honda Accord Euro on basically any relevant criteria (except price, on which it would be basically line ball).
You could throw the new Peugeot 508 up against at least some variants of C-Class, Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series – especially in the cheaper seats – and it’ll impress with the standard spec while at the same time not being a dynamic disappointment. In fact, this new Peugeot is evidence that the Germans are under increasing pressure to differentiate their more mainstream offerings in terms of quality and spec – although they have done rather a good job with the perception of their brands.
Peugeot has thrown in a few tidy tweaks with the new 508 – tweaks like capped-price servicing, which boils down to real peace of mind for owners. Under the capped-price plan, you’ll pay just $330 per service for the first three years or 60,000km. (Services are at 12 months/20,000km, 24 months/40,000km and 36 months/60,000km. There are also intermediate checkups – at six, 18 and 30 months or 10,000km, 30,000km and 50,000km, respectively. The intermediate checks are free.)
The Peugeot 508 model range works like this: Active is available as a sedan only, with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine for $36,990. We haven’t had a chance to sample that spec or drivetrain yet, as none were available at the launch of the new car.
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The Peugeot 508 GT is a sedan only, available with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine for $52,990.
(Prices quoted above are list price, and are subject to additional on-road charges.)
All the engines in the new Peugeot 508 range meet the new Euro 5 emissions regulations.
Step up to the 2.2-litre turbo diesel in the GT and the performance is certainly stronger – as dictated by the greater outputs of 150kW and 450Nm – also backed by a six-speed auto. This engine packs the same power into four cylinders (and half a litre less outright displacement) as the superseded 2.7-litre turbo diesel V6 offered – only the new engine manages it at lower revs, and offers more torque over a far broader rev range – and fully one-third less CO2 output. A simply brilliant job has been done on efficiency here.
It’s a fairly safe bet that, with its meagre outputs the ‘micro-hybrid’ option will appeal only to those for whom environmental concerns win out against all other motoring considerations. This stop/start system might be a game-changer, but every stop/start vehicle this reviewer has ever driven has been complete disappointment, a refinement destroyer, and a disruptive pain in the RS – all for the sake of saving enough to buy a café latte a week. Let’s hope this one is different.
Getting your head around the detailed specifications in model ranges can be difficult, but basically the three-step Peugeot 508 range works like this:
Five-star crashworthiness is also standard across the range.
Stepping up to Allure retains the full-sized spare and adds full leather seat trim, four-zone climate air-con, front and rear parking sensors plus an ‘available space’ measurement function that will tell you if the parking space you just spotted is big enough, and a proximity key with stop/start button and key-in-pocket entry (a Peugeot first).
The interior of the new Peugeot 508 is very pleasant. The soft-touch surfaces on the dash are beautifully crafted. The cabin ambience is understated and elegant. It’s also very quiet, and you can tell the body is very rigid because it is so quiet and shake-free inside – even on rough roads. The new 508 really excels in this area. The layout and control architecture is minimalist, and the ergonomics are fairly instinctive. Unlike, for example, your first outing in a BMW 5 Series.
If you need to transport adult passengers you’ll fit the driver and three large passengers in the new 508 with ease. Interior packaging is really well done, with fairly generous rear-seat legroom on offer.
Ride quality and roadholding on Allure models is excellent. The GT takes one step forwards on dynamic engagement, but two steps back on ride quality, however. If you only ever drive on billiards-table-smooth roads, you’ll love the GT’s dynamic prowess; in the real world, you might start hating its ride after the honeymoon ends, but well before the lease expires. Additionally, the GT features a space-saver spare tyre, which you will hate … even if you only ever get one flat tyre.
The 508 Allure could do with more steering feel and feedback, but there’s nothing wrong with its roadholding or performance. The steering’s not terrible, but it’s the first thing you’d change about the car dynamically – if you could. Overall, the Allure is composed and capable – wet, dry, smooth or rough. And the Touring manages to add the practicality of the wagon without compromising on elegance or getting noisier inside (a difficult double act for which Peugeot’s engineers and stylists deserve due credit).
At $45,990 plus on-road costs that package represents a hell of a lot of car for the money – and it’s hard to justify the extra $7k spend to jump back in the sedan-only GT. The Allure turbo diesel sedan is also an excellent proposition – and at a cool $10k cheaper than the GT, it’s almost impossible to justify splashing the extra cash on the range-topping variant. With the Allure you get 95 per cent of the GT, at 80 per cent of the price.
The new Peugeot 508 is a proper prestige luxury car – at a Japanese price-point. Its quality and construction seems excellent. This car is a real step forward for Peugeot – and it’s not as ‘in your face’ as some previous styling exercises have been. It’s elegant and understated throughout, as well as capable and refined. The competition both in Asia and Europe will doubtless hate it.