Peugeot dials ‘508’ on its 210th birthday
This fast number is first offering of brand’s new high-performance division
IT MAY HAVE opened shop in the Philippines much later than the other car brands, but do not let that fool you: Peugeot is one of the three oldest car brands in the world. This year, it’s celebrating its 210th anniversary!
What started as a family- owned business, an old grain mill, was one day transformed into a steel foundry. This later moved on to produce steam tricycles, then bikes, and eventually cars. The beauty of the transformations was that it showed resilience — allowing the business to adapt to the changes of each age and therefore, survive and prosper. Think about it: The lion trademark lasted through the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression of 1929, the Economic Crisis of the ’80s, and even through two World Wars!
John F. Kennedy once said, “History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future.” And that seems to be quite aligned with the French car maker’s mantra these days. The brand wishes to take us from the past and into the future. This time, it doesn’t want to simply endure; it wants to continuously reinvent itself.
Along these lines of philosophy, Peugeot last week unveiled the very first model of its new Peugeot Sport Engineered (or high-performance) division, the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered AWD plug-in hybrid. It is the most powerful Peugeot production car ever built, wielding 360hp and 520Nm of torque (thanks to its combined internal combustion engine and two electric motors, positioned at the front and rear). The car can carry a maximum speed of 250kph, and can go from standstill to 100kph in a quick 5.2 seconds. It appears lower, wider, and flashy with its 20-inch alloy wheels fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Seen through those wheels are 380mm brakes that encapsulate this creation’s stopping power. And impressively, the vehicle only spits out 46 grams/ km worth of CO2 emissions. That makes the Peugeot Sport Engineered AWD plugin hybrid simultaneously eco-friendly, high-performance, and truly enjoyable to experience.
Compared to the standard 508, the new 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered vehicle has a lower driving position and a wider front and rear track. It has, however, adapted the chassis of the standard 508, to deliver its performance and agility. There are three modes available for
its variable shock absorption, namely: Comfort, Hybrid, and Sport.
Within the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered’s center console are five driving modes one can select from: Electric Mode, which is zero-emission and 100%
electric driving with a range of 26 miles under the WLTP protocol; Hybrid Mode, which switches between using internal combustion and electric energy, depending on the driving circumstances; Comfort Mode, which is basically Hybrid Mode but with a softer suspension; Sport Mode, which delivers its maximum power of 360hp while simultaneously adjusting the car’s steering, suspension and accelerator pedal mapping to provide the ultimate performance; and 4WD mode, which delivers maximum traction for special off-road conditions.
As for its charging convenience, the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered can fully charge in less than seven hours using a standard household socket, and can fully charge in less than two hours using a specially installed 7kW wall box charge point.
The newly-launched Peugeot Sport Engineered division also coined a new type of performance, which it likes to call “Neo-performance,” They describe it as symphony of sportiness and technology with low CO2 emissions. Its new signature mark is the three Kryptonite claws, which you will find on the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered’s steering wheel and other locations.
Alongside the introduction of its new Sport Engineered high- performance division, Peugeot also made a big announcement — declaring its muchawaited return to the World Endurance Championship in the Le Mans Hypercar category, beginning in 2022.
Finally, when Peugeot’s CEO, JeanPhilippe Imparato was asked how he envisions Peugeot vehicles of the farther future, he said, “They will definitely be carbon neutral. Perhaps even, carbonneutral flying cars!?”