Peugeot 508
Peugeot 508 GT PureTech 225 auto £35,975
WE SAY: LOOKS GREAT, GOES WELL ENOUGH, DESERVES TO DO BETTER THAN IT WILL
Afew years ago, Peugeot built a concept called Exalt. It wasn’t nutty enough to grab headlines, but it was also too radical to be a useful pointer to a production car. So we largely ignored it. Guess what, here it is, at dealers near you from October.
In mitigation, big French saloons haven’t been showroom dynamite. The old 508, four-door and estate, sold one car in the UK for every 20 Merc C-Classes. It was more expensive per month than the Benz, because after 36 months it was worth about the same as your three-year-old pants.
So then, the new 508. Looks good, and has a truly special cabin design unlike any rival. But will it be buyable? Only if Peugeot dealers resist silly discounts and feet deals. There is evidence they will. The 3008 depreciates more gently than even premium-brand rivals, doing better than the resale ‘experts’ predicted at its launch.
The new 508 uses choice modules of PSA’s lightweight EMP2 platform. Some versions have adaptive damping and advanced driver assist, including night vision. All have virtual instruments and connected satnav. What it is not is big. It’s shorter and lower than the old one, and back-seat room is family-worthy but not up to minicabbing.
It feels low and lithe, it’s easy to steer accurately, and turns promptly into bends, rolling little. So you can feel what it’s up to despite the slightly numb steering. The ride’s a bit pattery in town, but supple and controlled once you get cantering.
The petrol engine is the familiar 1.6-litre, in two outputs. It gets a bit buzzy with revs, but gives decent poke. A newish small 1.5 diesel is peaceful enough, and shifts this biggish fve-seater better than its 130bhp might suggest. The 2.0 diesel – I tried the 180 version – is also quiet for the type, but it’s no frecracker.
The manual ’box is a good installation, but comes only with the lowest diesel. An 8spd auto is standard on the rest. Shame – I didn’t get on with it. It’s infuriatingly restless, ceaselessly changing up and down again in the apparently vain hope of fnding a ratio it’s happy with.