Peugeot 508, the design pearl of the French car company, which once again supplies us with cars with a very interesting, dynamic and stylish appearance. This liftback, carrying the elements of a four-door coupe, really did well. I currently tested the variant with a two-liter diesel engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission and the basic ACTIVE equipment.
A bold and confident exterior
After the 3008 and 5008 models, Peugeot comes up with another very handsome car that looks very dynamic and fresh. The middle class segment, which has not enjoyed much user interest recently, is getting a very interesting member.
The new "five-sixth" impresses with its very low body silhouette. Its slight "fastback" slope of the roof, within the rear section, looks very effective. The frameless glazing of the side doors completes the impression of a four-door coupe.
The exterior design of the car is really good, here the French again show us their imagination, which with certain fluctuations has been with the car company since its inception. Conservatism clearly goes by the wayside in the new 508 , and the appearance of the car is conceptually clean and clearly readable. The front section and its treatment of the headlights is very special. Light "tusks" give the car a certain ferocity and dynamism. Perhaps it's just a pity that the basic tested Active equipment only has a chrome strip instead, to deprive the basic equipment of the "most interesting" element of the exterior, that's a principle I don't really understand. But let's continue to praise, the already mentioned great side silhouette, the rear part with lights that are effectively darkened and "integrated" into one massive horizontal bar, or the tear-off edge of the rear door, these are all details that have moved the new 508 model series a big step further .
I-Cockpit in the main role
The futuristic look and principle of the i-Cockpit reigns supreme in the new 508 as well. The dashboard is dominated by distinct horizontal proportions and segmentation. The instrument display in front of the driver and the air conditioning vents are then integrated into its upper part. The fully digital display of the devices has very pleasant graphics and the displayed data can be set in various modes.
On the next level of the dashboard, which, like the upper one, elegantly follows the door panels, sits the on-board infotainment display. The latter is nonviolently bitten into the dashboard. In its lower part there is an effective keyboard with individual controls. As is the case with cars of this brand, many elements of the car are controlled via the touch screen, which results in a rather positive minimization of individual controls in the car. Under the keyboard there are other controllers that do not have classic buttons, but are only touch-sensitive. So a very effective and minimalistic solution.
The dashboard is followed by a massive, inclined central panel, which is equipped with an automatic transmission selector, a driving mode selector, a start button or an electronic handbrake, and in the next part, a storage box and drink holders. Tilting the panel has made it possible to create another storage space, which is under the panel and allows to put away a mobile phone with a wireless charging function.
The I-cockpit in the context of the construction of the car body brings a quite unusual experience. You sit very low in the car and the dashboard, including the tilted center panel, effectively surrounds you.
The sporty line of the body quite logically also affected the interior spaciousness of the car. The low roof, mainly in the rear, makes getting into the car a little uncomfortable. However, once you slide in, it seems like you've won. The low seating position allows quite a lot of headroom. The tested Active basic equipment offers seats with a classic fabric design, unfortunately without the possibility of heating. But the seats are well sized and comfortable.
Thanks to the liftback design of the body, the luggage compartment with a volume of 487 liters offers a very decent access. A user-friendly flat loading surface is created when the rear backrests are folded down, the trunk then offers a volume of 1537 liters.
Motorization and driving characteristics
The drive unit of the tested piece was a diesel turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a power of 160 horses. The motorization tested was also connected to an eight-speed automatic, and their cooperation must be unequivocally praised.
With a weight of 1610 kg, the Peugeot 508 can offer a very lively driving experience with this powerful engine and a well-shifting gearbox. The chassis, which is softer but otherwise quite reliable, can help with this. In addition to all this, the two-liter diesel engine also offers a very reasonable consumption value, I was below the 6-liter limit with it during the weekly test. The shifting of the automatic is also very pleasant, when the engine spins around 2000 rev/min during the freeway "hundreds" (all this with eighth gear engaged).
"Pětsetosma" will also offer the option of choosing a driving mode, in addition to the classic mode, SPORT mode and ECO mode are also available. The sports mode really revives the car noticeably, the reaction to the gas pedal changes and you can also feel the change from the steering. The previously tested 5008 also teased you in sports mode with a fake engine sound from the car's speakers. Fortunately, the 508 spares you this moment. The ECO mode is the exact opposite of the sporty one, the car's response to instructions from the gas pedal is therefore very lukewarm.
As a result, it can be said that the tested engine looks as good as it drives.
Conclusion
The 508 starts at a price of CZK 730,000 including VAT in the basic Active configuration with a 1.5 BlueHDi diesel engine and a six-speed manual transmission. The car we tested, which was also equipped with a two-liter diesel engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission, starts at CZK 830,000 including VAT. The price starts at CZK 1,045,000 including VAT in the top GT trim.
The Peugeot 508 is a car that stirred up the fairly stagnant waters of the mid-range segment. The French automaker has prepared another interesting car for us, which is riding on its current successful design wave. Although the pleasant and sporty appearance entails certain limitations within the interior space of the car, it is a bearable tax for having a car in your garage that you will look forward to every morning.
