New Peugeot 508: a saloon to make people forget about SUVs

Peugeot wants to win back customers who only think about SUVs, bringing them into the saloon segment. To do so, at the Geneva Motor Show it presents a new 508 that represents a very bold proposal.

At a time when sales of SUVs continue to rise in every category, Peugeot wants to revolutionise the traditional saloon segment with its new Peugeot 508. The goal could not be more ambitious: to become the benchmark among mainstream brands. That means overtaking cars of the calibre of the Volkswagen Passat or the Opel Insignia, among others.

Past and future in a striking design

To that end, Peugeot‘s first bet is design, which on the new 508 is bold and striking. The brand says the grille with the lion at its centre and the model badge on the bonnet is a tribute to the Peugeot 504 and Peugeot 504 Coupé. But take this away: a very sporty design has been pursued, for which the body height stays at just 1.40 metres – 6 lower than the previous model – against a total length of 4.75 metres.

Other features that accentuate this sportiness are the silhouette with a high waistline, and the frameless doors, a trait more typical of coupé saloons. On the Peugeot 508, the rear has a very defined third profile, with a discreet tailgate giving access to a 487-litre boot. Many styling features, such as the three-dimensional LED rear lights, were previously seen on the futuristic prototypes that Peugeot has presented at recent shows.

The new Peugeot 508 is built on PSA’s modular EMP2 platform, which, to start with, allows a weight saving averaging 70 kg over its predecessor.

Driving position with the Peugeot i-Cockpit

At this point nobody would expect a new Peugeot 508 without the original Peugeot i-Cockpit driving position that the brand has used on many of its models since debuting it on the Peugeot 2008 back in 2012, and which has evolved on the Peugeot 308 and the 3008 and 5008 SUVs.

Here, the Peugeot i-Cockpit reaches its third generation, keeping a very compact steering wheel with the instrumentation above it on a high-resolution 12.3-inch screen. For the infotainment system, the central screen can be 8 inches on the basic Active versions, and reach 10 inches on the higher trims, from Allure upwards.

Below the touchscreen, we think it is a masterstroke that Peugeot keeps seven independent controls for easy access to the vehicle’s main functions without going through navigation menus.

Peugeot boasts of having achieved AGR certification for the seats in recognition of their many adjustments (the most advanced offer up to five massage programmes). It also says it has not forgotten practicality, with up to 32 litres of storage spread across various compartments in the cabin.

A very high-tech Peugeot 508

Driving dynamics are another area to which Peugeot has paid special attention: the brand wants the Peugeot 508 to be a benchmark among mid-size saloons for sportiness, and for dynamism too.

To that end, the electric power steering has a special calibration, and the suspension tuning has been carefully adapted to the characteristics of each engine. The multi-link rear axle can be combined with adaptive damping suspension (Active Suspension Control), which will be standard on the GT trim and on all Peugeot 508 models with petrol engines, and can be chosen optionally with the 2.0 diesel engines.

As additions to the already familiar driver-assistance systems, the Peugeot 508 will include a night vision system using an infrared camera to detect living beings ahead of the vehicle when driving at night or in poor visibility at a distance of up to 250 m. There is also the Lane Position Assist (LPA), a first for the brand, which is capable of keeping the vehicle in its lane by intervening on the steering and the accelerator and brake pedals.

The Peugeot Connect pack will not be missing, with connected 3D navigation by TomTom Traffic, wireless smartphone charging and full connectivity with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Engines of the new Peugeot 508

For the engine range, the novelty comes with the PureTech petrol, in 180 and 225 CV variants, the latter exclusive to the Peugeot 508 GT. The diesels will be three BlueHDi units, with 1.5 and 2.0-litre blocks and outputs of 130, 160 and 180 CV, all with EAT8 automatic gearbox except the 130 CV, which is also offered with a manual gearbox.

In late autumn 2019, it was also announced that the Peugeot 508 will receive a plug-in hybrid version. Following its presentation at the Geneva Motor Show, the new Peugeot 508 will begin arriving at dealerships from September.

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