You can see from the Peugeot 408’s shape that this is going to be an unmissable car on the road. This is certainly the most beautiful Peugeot of the moment, which is a real compliment considering the high visual qualities of its siblings. But in hybrid version, is it really as economical and nimble as the carmaker presents it? Let’s take a look…
Already at the 408’s presentation, the carmaker’s own representatives said that the vehicle uses the technical basis of the 308. The 408 is a bit like it, and the biggest difference is actually just a different body style from the B-pillar onwards, which finally brings a lot more space in the cabin. With this move, Peugeot seems to have gone back many years to when it had the 307 and 407 models on offer.
But while back then it was a hatchback and a sedan, now we have a vehicle whose proportions don’t fit into either of the classic categories. Is it a sedan? A liftback? A crossover or an SUV? Appearances are deceiving, as the 408 is lower than a conventional SUV, although in concept it is closest to a coupe SUV concept. You could also look at it from the opposite side as a slightly raised four-door coupe.
The best designation might be crossover-liftback, because the vehicle has a pretty high ground clearance, but can never have two-wheel drive. The neighborhood loved to look at the 408s and also other drivers often had the urge to check if it was really a Peugeot and what a novelty it was. The only thing that somehow visually bothered me is the massive rear bumper made of rough black plastic, in which there are fog and reversing lights with classic bulbs on the sides.
We received the car for the test in the highest GT trim, so we were able to enjoy, for example, the brilliantly illuminated Matrix LED headlights, or the dynamic AGR-certified seats, with combined Alcantara upholstery and dark headliner. I also had to drive the car on a 400 km long motorway route and didn’t feel the slightest stiffness or back pain when I got out. So I definitely give a point for the seats.
On GT trim, the cabin also includes aluminium décor and sports pedals. The only thing I missed were those interesting extra 20″ Monolith wheels that were on all those promo photos and videos. We “only” had the 19″ GRAPHITE alloy wheels, which don’t offend by design and also have aerodynamic “plastic” caps.
Equal design highlights are the interior, where the driver feels like he’s in a spaceship thanks to the brilliantly designed i-Cockpit. Once again, the cabin sports a steering wheel that has a flattened top and bottom and lacks a third brace. Again, I had no problem looking at the digital dashboard with 3D display above the steering wheel and again I say that this interior is ergonomically and visually the best to be found in today’s cars. Period.
The 10.9″ infotainment panel is complemented by a configurable i-Toggles touch bar just below. And just below that bar is another row of buttons that is purely physical. Finally, Peugeot has gone back in time and thought just a little bit about those who don’t want to control everything by voice or touch.
There’s quite a lot of space around you, even the back seats can easily accommodate an adult, but people around 190cm tall start to run out of headroom. The boot then holds 536 litres of luggage in the combustion versions, and the plug-in hybrid versions have the volume reduced to a still respectable 471 litres, which you’ll have convenient access to via the electrically hinged fifth door.
That the 408 is no real SUV is easy to tell behind the wheel. Because you don’t have to get high to get behind it. What’s more, the 408 drives like a normal car and doesn’t lean in corners like the aforementioned SUV. Its movements are sure and precise, yet it feels compliant and doesn’t let bumps and potholes in the tarmac throw it off too much. You can calmly send it into a corner and enjoy the stability and grip, but you can just as gamely let it swallow hundreds of miles of highway transfers.
And while we’re on the subject of those transfers, let’s take a look at that motorization (or should that be electrification?). France has managed to build a very grown-up and capable car, with a combination of a turbocharged petrol engine, badged 1.6 PureTech, and an electric motor working under the hood of the Hybrid 225 version. The two engines work together to give a maximum system output of 165kW (225k) and a respectable 360Nm of torque. Unfortunately, in this case you have to make do with just a 40-litre fuel tank, which refers to the necessity of regularly charging the 12.4 kWh battery.
However, the battery can only be charged by a slow current with a maximum power of 7.4 kW and even then only at an extra cost. Charging in this case alone will take two hours and give you a pure electric range of between 40 and 50 km. As with any electric drive, the range primarily depends on the ambient temperature and the driving style of the driver.
In all-electric mode, the 408 can go at speeds of up to 135km/h, so highway top speeds are no problem even in zero-emission mode. The problem then is in the range, which drops to about 20-25km at that speed. Consumption rises to approx. 28kWh per 100km. However, as soon as you switch the 408 to hybrid mode, it will start to carefully allocate the energy supply based on map cues, speed limits and current driving style. In hybrid mode, I managed to drive for 19kWh per 100km.
After a week, petrol consumption has stabilised at 6.7l/100km. However, it should be noted that I didn’t have the opportunity to charge the battery at home and waiting 2 hours at a public charger is not my idea of spending free time. S with a fully charged battery, the petrol consumption was around 2.5l/100km.
So even with a tiny fuel tank it’s no problem to drive a long motorway stretch and the only limitation is really the aforementioned slow charging, because if the battery runs out on the way somewhere from BA to ZA in hybrid mode, then you have to spend time charging somewhere and that’s quite limiting. If you don’t charge, you drive with the consumption of a conventional petrol car and the disadvantage of a 300kg battery that weighs 300kg, which you have to drag around with you when it’s dead…
Performance-wise, the 408 isn’t too dazzling either. On paper those 225 hp may look good but the dynamics are just average and if I didn’t know better, I’d say it has quite a few less of those horses. It’s absolutely not for some racing, but more for better dynamics when overtaking. While there’s the option to activate a sport driving mode, which is further spiced up by the artificial sound of the engine, the 408 doesn’t have adaptive suspension and it’s still heavy with the battery (the hybrid weighs up to 2220kg compared to the petrol version, which is 1920kg), so all the driver gets is a better throttle response and a quicker 8-speed gearbox.
However, if you fell in love with the Peugeot 408 at first sight, you probably won’t spoil that impression. It’s a very pleasant car with a few minor flaws that you can live with and sort of accept. That is, as long as you accept the price…
In fact, the 408’s price is already quite premium – in fact, the version with the Puretech 130 three-cylinder and eight-speed automatic starts at €31,990 in base form, and the cheapest plug-in hybrid with 180bhp starts at €42,490. The tested Hybrid 225 version in top GT trim then costs from €46,990. The tested piece was crammed to a final price of €49,490 and that’s on top of a couple of options like Night Vision for €1,300 or that €3,000 Naboo blue leather in the interior.
With the choice of a plug-in hybrid variant, you need to think about regular charging and a smaller trunk volume. In interior, the i-Cockpit may not suit everyone, but in other respects the Peugeot 408 is a more than worthy competitor to the other brands. The confident price reflects a generous supply of safety assists and unwavering on-the-road stylishness…
