Peugeot 508 SW PSE

Peugeot is back in the performance car game, with this 355bhp hybrid estate making for a promising start

IN A PREVIOUS LIFE THEY WERE CALLED GTIS. They were cars that defined and dominated sectors, inspired a generation and put Peugeot on the map as a company that was less about quirky design and engineering and more about creating a fully resolved product that had the widest appeal possible. Be it 205 or 309, when the GTI badge was applied it resulted in more than just a breathed-on mainstream model; these early day Peugeot GTIS set the benchmark for affordable driver’s cars.

And then, after the 106 and 306, it all stopped. The fallow years followed, excellence only briefly reprised with the recent 208 and 308 GTI by Peugeot Sport (and the unofficial GTI, the RCZ). Then we were led to believe that was it: Peugeot was out of the quick road car game. Out of motorsport, too, choosing instead a life of steady, predictable, market-friendly crossovers and SUVS to maximise profits. And it worked. Some of the cars are actally quite good if you need that kind of thing. But what we wanted was for Peugeot to dust off its performance car instruction manual and reignite the flame that produced those aforementioned modern classics. And now it has, albeit in a very 21st century way.

There’s no return of the GTI name, even ‘by Peugeot Sport’ has fallen by the wayside, rather we now have Peugeot Sport Engineered, a wider sub-brand that will encompass everything from a return to Le Mans in 2022 in the Hypercar class to a range of new performance road cars, starting with the 508 PSE. With a plug-in hybrid powertrain and four-wheel drive, it will spearhead a trio of new PSE models. A 308 PSE will get the same hybrid tech but without the second electric motor driving the rear wheels, while beneath the 308 will sit an all-electric 208 PSE.

The 508 is available as a fastback hatch or an estate (an SW in Peugeot speak), with the latter expected to account for the majority of sales. It certainly has the neater design of the two, but there’s a frustration in that you can only order it in white, black or primer grey. For such a strong design the colour palette is dull and monotone.

While we’re discussing the negatives, PSE models are still equipped with Peugeot’s baffling i-cockpit set-up. Its infotainment element continues to require far too much prodding of an unresponsive screen to adjust anything, and the steering wheel and instrument binnacle are still awkwardly proportioned. At least the former no longer obscures the latter, but it still feels like someone is trying to reinvent the wheel.

And now for the good stuff, of which there is plenty, starting with the powertrain. At its core is Peugeot’s 1.6-litre turbocharged four-pot, the same unit used in the 208 and 308 GTI models and producing 197bhp and 221lb ft. It’s not a

Above right: the looks are good, but the colour options less so. Right: i-cockpit’s small steering wheel, with the instruments above, still feels like Peugeot is trying too hard. Top right: touchscreen could be more responsive

particularly tuneful engine, Peugeot’s petrol engines rarely are, but its blend of power and torque makes for a responsive unit from the midrange through to its peak. But, with peak torque arriving relatively high at 3000rpm, when the battery is depleted and there’s no electric help it’s not the lightest on its feet should you require a brisk take-off. It soon picks up, however, and once the power bleeds in the 508 PSE is a quick car, certainly more responsive and athletic than Audi’s S4 and Volvo’s V60 by Polestar, two cars PSE benchmarked the 508 against.

Yet the 508 PSE isn’t simply relying on its internal-combustion power source. Positioned under the boot floor and rear seats is an 11.5kwh

lithium-ion battery, ideally charged by the extension lead supplied rather than relying on the car’s built-in energy recovery systems. Once charged, WLTP figures suggest an electric range of 26 miles, but during a chilly March the maximum range we saw using a 7kw charger was 22 miles, which quickly dropped to high teens once moving.

Electric energy is transmitted to two motors: a 109bhp unit on the front axle, integrated into the eight-speed EEAT8 automatic gearbox, and a 111bhp motor driving the rear axle. The front motor also produces a thumping 236lb ft of torque from 500rpm through to 2500rpm, with the rear providing 122lb ft from zero revs to 4760rpm.

Why, then, isn’t the PSE rated as a 400-plus bhp car? Because that lithium-ion battery can’t supply enough energy to allow both batteries to generate their peak outputs at the same time, so power and torque are both capped, resulting in ‘combined’ bests of 355bhp and 383lb ft.

It’s when the battery is charged and there’s some volts to call on that this 508 gains its claws. Instant torque gets the car off the line much quicker, although at 1875kg everything is relative, and the lag that’s present when the IC engine is the only power source evaporates as the electric motors fill the void with a sizable shove of torque until the turbo spools up. In electric-only mode power is set to the rear axle alone, the fourcylinder engine only firing up at 87mph.

The hybrid powertrain is smooth and well integrated, delivering a strong band of performance across a wide operating window, even if the eight-speed auto is too slow to downshift and feels like it’s hesitating about which ratio would best suit the driving style. But it’s how the rest of the car puts this energy to unexpectedly good use that really impresses.

There’s an old-school, very French feel to the ride and dynamic composure. The car operates with a fluidity that allows you to maintain momentum, maximise the steering’s precision and lean against a chassis that’s had more than just a cursory once-over. Macpherson struts with coil springs underpin the front, joined by a multi-link set-up at the rear, while three-mode variable dampers (Comfort, Hybrid and Sport) are matched to the five driving modes. There are unique front and rear tracks, with the longer wishbones fitted at the front resulting in an additional 24mm and spacers accounting for a 12mm increase at the rear. Negative camber has also been increased and the anti-roll bars are unique to this model. It’s this attention to detail that can be felt in everything the PSE does. Combined with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres the level of grip and feedback is impressively measured, encouraging confidence and reassuring in equal measure. What the car lacks in raw pace it makes up for with a premium level of dynamic capability. Where others thump into their bump stops and plough on through a corner, the 508 PSE glides and flows with impunity.

A large, plug-in hybrid estate is not the type of car many dream of, but if you appreciate a well engineered and dynamically set-up machine, and you find yourself staring at a list of cars to pick from and discover the 508 PSE among the S4s or V60s, do yourself a favour and try the 508. ☒

Engine In-line 4-cyl, 1598cc, turbo, plus two electric motors (81kw front, 83kw rear) Power 355bhp (combined) Torque 383lb ft (combined) Weight 1875kg (192bhp/ton) 0-62mph 5.2sec Top speed 155mph (limited) Basic price £55,025

+ Depth and breadth of ability; a hybrid worth considering - But only if someone else is paying evo rating ★★★★ ☆

‘There’s an old‑school, very French feel to the ride and dynamic composure’