Peugeot has just presented the new 408, a coupe-like crossover car based on the 308 platform, with which it shares the engines and dashboard design, and which is presented as a new interpretation of the sedan concept. It will have a 130 hp petrol version and two 180 and 225 hp plug-in hybrid versions (PHEV), all of them automatic and front-wheel drive, and will go on sale this fall at prices yet to be defined. A few weeks ago we were able to see and touch this new Peugeot of which we now offer you all the available information and this video.
Peugeot speaks of a conquest car with which to enter new markets and attract new customers, a car for people open to change and who buy cars because they like cars and not just for transportation needs. The 408, which will be a world-class car since it will also be manufactured in China, where it will be called the 408 Crossover since there is a three-volume sedan there called the 408, is halfway between a sedan and an SUV, but closer to the first than the second.
The design of the 408 is surprising. The front is very Peugeot, with a large grille that is quite concealed by having a 3D treatment with multiple elements in the same body color and the brand’s new shield very present combined with the number of the car at the base of the hood. . The “fangs” for the daytime running lights are also kept.
On the side, the clearly crossover highlights the high ground clearance, the black wheel arches, the generous underbody protections and the alloy wheels that will be 18 or 20 inches depending on the version. As in the 308, the GT version will display the brand’s shield on the front door. The line of the roof is maintained until practically the end of it, thus avoiding affecting the interior habitability.
At the rear, some curious elements stand out, such as the very voluminous black bumpers that take away surface from the sheet metal, the pilots with the three usual “claws” of the brand linked from one side to the other and a very inclined tailgate with “ears of cat” in the upper part that hide the hinges and improve the aerodynamics of this part of the car together with the small spoiler on the tailgate. The absence of a rear windshield wiper is surprising.
Do you think it’s a big car? Well yes, it is. It measures 4.69 meters long (only 6 cm less than a 508 sedan and 6 more than a 308 SW family), has a width of 1.85 meters, the same as a 308 and a height of 1.48, which are only 4 cm more than that of a 308 SW which has a much lower ground clearance. The wheelbase is 2.79, which would be the longest on the platform if the 5008 didn’t exist, which goes to 2.84.
Only three engines for Europe
The range of engines, which is inherited from the 308, is made up of a gasoline version with the 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine and 130 hp common in Stellantis models and two plug-in hybrid variants with the same gasoline engine with powers different and a common electric motor. The first produces 180 hp and the second 225 with, in all cases, a 110 hp electric motor and a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with 150 hp in the 180 PHEV version and 180 in the 225 version. .
All the 408 will be front-wheel drive cars (there will be no 4×4 variants) since it will not mount the two-motor hybrid system that is offered in the 3008 and 508 and that produces 300 hp. In addition, all versions will have automatic change. This will be more and more common in new cars since the automatic gearbox makes it easier to manage the different driving aids. For international markets there will be a 225 hp gasoline 1.6 that will not reach Spain and Peugeot announces, as it did with the 308, a 100% electric version for later, without specifying when. Let’s see inside.
The dashboard is the same as the 308, with the i-cockpit configuration, as it was designed for both cars at the same time. It maintains the small steering wheel, the instrumentation in 3D format that can be consulted above the steering wheel and the central screen located in a low position. As usual with i-cockpits, it is worth trying them out before deciding, as people with different sizes may or may not feel comfortable with this configuration. What is remarkable is the general quality of the dashboard and all its components, as is already the case with the 308.
The design, therefore, is already known. The 3D instrumentation presents the data at different levels and keeps the small gear lever, which does not convince us, and the function keys below the screen. The seats look very good, both at first glance, and once seated (they are large, comfortable and seem to support the body well). In any case, the driving position is more saloon than SUV, more than 308 than 3008, to understand us.
The rear seats are larger than expected. The distance between rows is very large thanks to the generous wheelbase and getting in and out does not present the problems that are common in crossover coupes. The ceiling height is not the best of the dimensions, the product of having designed a low car with good clearance. In these rear seats we have air vents, two USB sockets, nets on the backs of the seats and an armrest with a hole and two can holders that hide a connection hatch with the trunk for long objects.
The trunk, for its part, has an electric opening, a tray that goes with the gate up and a small double bottom for the recharging cables. It offers a good capacity, with 476 liters that, in the case of the gasoline version, goes to 536 to be able to take better advantage of the rear double bottom. The folding of the rear seats can be done from the trunk itself by means of levers on the sides.
Among the available equipment, Peugeot cites elements such as the air purifier, configurable ambient lighting, electrically operated and heated seats, heated steering wheel, LED matrix headlights, night vision system and focal audio equipment. The information and entertainment equipment will be like that of the 308, that is, much higher than what has been known so far in the brand, with 8 different configuration profiles, connectivity for two phones, online updates and 4 USB sockets. And with regard to safety, it will already have all the driving aids that will be mandatory from July for all new models, plus others such as lane keeping with adaptive cruise control and automatic overtaking on the motorway with detection of signals, which means you may end up changing lanes on your own.
The Peugeot 408 will be available in three finishes: Allure, Allure Pack and GT and in six colors of which two, Titane Grey, a very dark gray and our unit’s Obsession blue are exclusive to this car. It will be manufactured in Mulhouse and if everything goes as planned, we will have it on the market in early 2023.
