Hybrid Peugeot 508 announced
12.07.2011 - Stuart Milne
(1)
The Peugeot 508 RXH four-wheel drive hybrid will rival the upmarket Audi A4 Allroad and Volvo XC70, Peugeot has revealed.
Peugeot plans to install the same modular hybrid system fitted into the Peugeot 3008 hybrid, which will transform the large family estate car into a four-wheel drive model with off-road pretensions.
The 508 RXH is based on the standard 508 SW estate car, but extra ground clearance and wider bodywork sets it apart, making it easily identifiable as Peugeot's greenest estate car yet.
A 2-litre diesel engine drives the front wheels while the HYbrid4 system sees an electric motor and battery pack driving the rear wheels.
Power is rated at an impressive 200bhp with 332lb/ft of pulling power, which should make it a capable tow car. It offers electric-only operation when driving around town and average fuel consumption is 67.2mpg. CO2 emissions are equally impressive at 109g/km.
Peugeot has ruled out a saloon version of the 508 RXH, saying it has aspirations of rivalling similar high-riding, four-wheel drive estates from Audi and Volvo, and there's no market for a quasi-off-road saloon.
The 508 RXH is the second application of the HYbrid4 technology, and the company has confirmed it will install the system in other models. It will debut the RXH at the Frankfurt motor show in September ahead of a 2012 launch.
