Peugeot 508 PHEV FIRST UK DRIVE
Plug-in variant offers low tax rates to go with its elegant looks
PEUGEOT launched its 508 with premium aspirations, but to compete on that level in 2020 means you need a plug-in version. Which is why the brand has added this Hybrid 225 PHEV to the line-up.
Big premium cars like this are often favourites with company car buyers, and with Benefit-in-Kind tax regulations benefiting PHEVs significantly in the 2020/21 tax year, the plug-in Peugeot has arrived in the UK at the right time.
The combination of a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and electric motor cuts CO2 emissions to just 29g/km and promises an all-electric range of up to 39 miles. This means the £34,945 Allure model will only cost £1,396 per year in company car tax for higher-rate earners. Compare that to a similarly specced, less powerful and cheaper petrol 508, which will cost the same driver £3,996 a year, and the plug-in certainly has a positive impact when it comes to running costs.
Peugeot claims official economy between 166.2mpg and 235.4mpg, and while these figures are meant to be realistic, as with any PHEV, take them with a pinch of salt. If your daily mileage is less than that maximum EV range and you plug in every night, then you might not have to fill up for months. If you cover more miles and exhaust the battery’s supply of energy, then fuel economy will take a hit. However, even with an empty battery, we still saw more than 50mpg on the trip during our time with the car.
The 11.8kWh battery takes an hour and 45 minutes to charge using a 7.4kW home wallbox. However, the 7.4kW on-board charging option is £300; otherwise the 508 will downgrade the feed coming in to 3.7kW.
The battery supplies a 108bhp electric motor, and combined output with the 1.6 turbo petrol engine is 222bhp. Performance is swift enough, with 0-62mph taking 8.3 seconds, but it’s under short bursts of acceleration at lower speeds where the hybrid set-up is at its best. That’s because the electric motor gives instant performance
“Even with an empty battery, we still saw more than 50mpg during our time with the car”
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Onsale
£34,945 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol/e-motor 222bhp
Eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive 8.3 seconds 155mph 166.2-235.4mpg 29g/km
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