Peugeot 508: the wraps come off
09.09.2010 - Stuart Milne
(25)
The Peugeot 508 has been secretly previewed to the press, and Auto Trader was there to see it.
Two models were previewed - the 508 saloon, and the 508 SW, which stands for Sports Wagon and gives the car an estate-like boot.
A range of engines will be available, including three petrol and five diesels. A 1.6-litre diesel engine, producing 112bhp, will be the most economical in the range, returning 53.4mpg and emitting 109g/km of CO2.
A four-wheel drive diesel hybrid will be added to the line-up in 2012, using the same technology found in the 3008 MPV. This version will be the most efficient and second most powerful in the range.
Peugeot has benchmarked Audi for interior quality, which is built using high-quality, tactile materials. The instrumentation is clear and the whole cabin feels like it has been assembled with care - much like the Peugeot 3008 MPV, which sparked the French car maker's renaissance last year.
Peugeot is keen to distance the 508 from the 407 it replaces by giving it a more distinct name because of the new car's marked improvement in quality and design. "We didn't want it to be thought of as a revised 407", said a Peugeot spokesman.
Although prices are still to be confirmed, Peugeot say they will be comparable with the 407. It will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in a few weeks' time.
