Review and test drive: Peugeot 508 SW Hybrid, a sporty and efficient family car

In the Peugeot 508 range, on sale in our market since 2019, there is one version that is especially worth recommending for its versatility, technology, comfort, efficiency and, why not say it, its design too. I am referring to the estate body variant with plug-in hybrid propulsion, the Peugeot 508 SW Hybrid. You can get it with discounts from around 43,000 euros in the Active Pack trim, not counting the purchase aid from the Plan Moves, nor the additional discount of around 2,200 euros that Peugeot offers if you buy online. The most luxurious version, the Allure Pack, costs 46,200 euros, while the sporty GT trim costs 47,450 euros, and the GT Pack 51,410 euros.

With this technology you can also choose the saloon, but I recommend you see both in person: the Station Wagon will be very hard not to look more attractive. It follows the “family coupé” trend, which others such as the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake have also joined, and which would be one of its main rivals. By the way, the Volkswagen also has an interesting plug-in hybrid version.

Here versatility and space are not as much of a priority as in other more classic-style family cars, such as, for example, a Skoda Superb Combi. And as we will see, this has its drawbacks. Small concessions you have to accept so that when you look at the 508 SW, especially from the side or the rear, you see it with different eyes.

What I am clear about is that it is worth investing the roughly 1,300 euro difference with the saloon for the same engine and equipment. And now I am not talking only about aesthetic matters; incidentally, the three-box 508 also still seems to me one of the most eye-catching cars in this category.

Peugeot 508 SW: advantages of a sporty family design

To start with, the greater headroom in the rear seats and the boot with greater capacity, together with the versatility offered by the tailgate, already justify the investment on their own. Another matter is whether you are looking for a family car that truly stands out for its space rather than its design.

There are vehicles in this category that comfortably exceed the 530-litre boot capacity of the 508 SW, but none has such a dynamic design. Its body measures 4.78 metres, about three centimetres more than the saloon. But its height is only 2 centimetres greater, even with the roof bars included. It stands at 1.42 metres in height, a figure lower than that of more “classic” family saloons, which does not prevent the 508 SW from offering more headroom for occupants of the rear seats. Two adults can travel comfortably here, as there is not much width to spare and a third passenger would have problems.

On the debit side of this design, when it comes to making use of the load capacity up to the roof, you do not gain as much space as in other more “boxy” family cars because the parcel shelf covering the boot has been eliminated. I also did not like how Peugeot has resolved the frameless windows in the case of the rear doors. In the images you will see that the third side glass is not concealed, which looks aesthetically very unattractive, as well as very exposed when the windows are lowered.

The tailgate can come with power opening and a hands-free activation function, by passing your foot under the bumper. And optionally it is possible to complete the elements it includes as standard for organising the load (anchor rings, side hooks) by fitting practical metal rails with movable rings, or the characteristic net separating the load space from the cabin.

The rear seat backs, split 60/40, fold down easily against the backrest using handles located in the boot itself, or from the cabin. In this case the total load volume reaches almost 1,800 litres. A compartment designed for the purpose lets you carry the charging cable for the batteries without it rolling loose in the boot.

Driving position of the 508 SW Hybrid

There are no differences between the driving position of the 508 SW and the saloon. There are some between the versions with petrol or diesel engines and the plug-in hybrid as regards the instrumentation. The peculiarities of the i-Cockpit system of the Peugeot, with its very small steering wheel and instrumentation positioned above it, require a period of adjustment, and not all drivers feel comfortable straight away; for this reason I always recommend that anyone looking at a Peugeot with this layout – now all of them – try it first. In SUVs, such as the 3008, for example, there are more adjustment options and it is easier to get used to the i-Cockpit.

In my case I did not find it hard to get used to, which is not the case in other smaller Peugeot models, such as the 208, for example. Nor is the bulky centre console a problem for me, although it can make you feel very tucked in behind the steering wheel. I really like the sense of modernity and technology that the design conveys, and the premium atmosphere felt inside the higher trim versions, like our test unit, with its eye-catching red leather upholstery.

Overall, all the materials give a very good impression, which is confirmed when you touch them: pleasant surfaces to the touch and good finish, except for the way the junction between the boot floor and the seats is finished, which does not match the rest.

Once you adjust the steering wheel to a height that lets you see all the instrumentation – something that is not always possible without compromising your body position relative to the bodywork and pedals – you quickly settle into a car in which covering kilometres is very pleasant. The ease of use of the controls, the comfort of the seats and the numerous storage spaces help, notably the generously sized compartment under the central armrest. The wireless phone charger sits below the console.

The 10-inch multimedia screen sits low relative to the instrumentation. The menu navigation system could be more intuitive, but overall it is quick and offers good resolution. The direct-access buttons for the main menus are welcome, as is the “piano key” mode, which has a very eye-catching design and is easy to operate.

On the clear centre console sit the start button, the driving mode selector and the joystick-type gear selector lever, with modes D, B, N, R, and a button for Park mode. Once forward mode is selected, the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel can be used to change gear when driving in hybrid mode. In electric mode you can use the lever to select the “B” mode for greater energy recovery, for example when decelerating or descending a mountain pass or a steep slope.

The digital instrumentation replaces the rev counter of the combustion-engine versions with an indicator of the power level we are using at any given moment, which also shows whether we are charging the battery. You can choose between different configurations, depending on the type of driving you are doing at the time. In some of them the way the indicators are presented looks too “futuristic”, and in the end you wind up choosing the one that simulates analogue dials, which is the one that reads best.

On the road with the Peugeot 508 SW Hybrid

The propulsion system of the 508 SW Hybrid is the same as used by other models in the Stellantis group. To name just a few, the 3008 and 5008 SUVs, the Citroën C5 Aircross Hybrid or the DS-7 Crossback E-TENSE. It uses a 1.6 four-cylinder petrol engine which in the 508 SW Hybrid delivers 180 CV, coupled to an electric motor of 110 CV. The power is sent to the front axle through the smooth EAT8 eight-speed automatic gearbox.

In total, it claims a system power of 225 CV, with a maximum torque of 360 Nm. Above this version sits a second one with a clearly sportier character, the 508 PSE, not only because it offers 360 CV of system power and more than 500 Nm of torque, but also because of its specific chassis and brake tuning, as well as its exterior and interior styling. Here you can read our first impressions of the Peugeot 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered.

Even so, the 225 CV of the 508 SW Hybrid are more than sufficient for the sporty estate to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds and easily reach a top speed of 240 km/h, always maintaining good throttle response, especially while the battery retains its charge. The latter has a capacity of 11.8 kWh, and gives the 508 SW a WLTP electric-mode range of 52 km.

Needless to say, given its plug-in hybrid status with this range, one of the factors that may tip the balance in favour of this version over the petrol or diesel variants in the range is the CERO emissions label from the DGT. During our test, recharging daily without problems from a domestic socket, we easily covered mixed routes (motorway and ring road plus some city driving) of between 35 and 40 km.

Consumption, and the driving sensations of the 508 SW Hybrid too, depend greatly on the programme you select with the driving mode selector via the button on the centre console. Incidentally, switching from one mode to another when you “browse” the menu is a little slow. Most of the time you will use Hybrid mode, in which the system optimises how the two motors work together for efficiency. There is no lack of power, but if you want a more “lively” feel you can switch to Sport mode and enjoy all the power it promises. From the multimedia screen you can also opt for eSave mode if you want to keep the battery charge for later use.

If you leave home with the battery discharged, consumption is not outrageous either, falling in line with what a non-plug-in hybrid of similar characteristics would offer: between 7.5 and 8 l/100 km on average. And if you choose hybrid mode with the battery charged, rather than letting it drain quickly over the first 40 km in electric mode, you can make “runs” of around 150 km with real consumption below 2.5 l/100 km.

More agile than comfortable, but ideal for covering big distances

With the adaptive suspension in Comfort mode and Hybrid driving mode, the 508 SW is a car that comfortably covers kilometres without effort, although the tuning of its chassis stands out more for a degree of agility that other saloons of this size do not have. If you press the accelerator it responds with spirit, and with the characteristic sound of the 1.6 PureTech engine, a little rough but never annoying, which is easy to overlook given how good the audio system signed by Focal sounds.

Overall, through the reactions and feel transmitted by the steering, suspension and brakes, the 508 SW Hybrid will delight those who like to travel comfortably yet “lightly”. The only thing I find improvable is the feel of the brakes, clearly different from that of the 508 versions with petrol or diesel engines, which excel in this area. But you get used to it quickly. Power and braking capacity are not lacking, despite the added weight of the entire hybrid system.

Image gallery for the Peugeot 508 SW Hybrid