ROADTEST PEUGEOT 508 2.0 HDi ALLURE:BY JANUARY 2012 the choice in the large family car segment is going to be immense. Elsewhere this week we report on Hyundais new i40, which will come to Ireland later this summer in estate form and saloon in September. This will be a close cousin of the Kia Optima, which will be here in time for 2012 sales.
The Hyundai and the Kia will jostle for position with this week’s test car, the Peugeot 508, in the battle with the big-selling Toyota Avensis, Volkswagen Passat, Opel Insignia and Ford Mondeo.
Toyota dominates the segment in Ireland by some degree with the Avensis (Ireland’s best-selling car up to now), a car that the Irish customers, fleet buyers and law enforcers have taken to in droves. Before the man from Toyota phones again to remind us to remind you, the reason is that the Avensis is relatively painless to run, and has solid residuals.
Avensis doesn’t dominate its segment in the same way in any other European country as far as we know, but it begs the question – what hope do the others have? Choosing a car outside of Toyota, Volkswagen, Opel and Ford in this segment used to lie somewhere between brave and foolhardy.
But forget all that. Now we have Skoda making you wonder if you should buy a Volkswagen. The Korean brands have Toyota firmly in their crosshairs with the i40 and the Optima.
And this new Peugeot 508 thinks that it deserves to be considered by the premium buyers in the segment, the ones that would look at a Passat above all others. A few short years ago this would have been utterly laughable – until of course, we saw the 3008, 5008 and RCZ and our scoffs turned to intrigue. Peugeot started making interiors that wouldn’t seem out of place in an Audi and exteriors that looked blooming marvelous.
The 508 takes over from the 407. It isn’t called a 408 because there is a car of that moniker on sale in some other markets as a budget saloon. In reality what we have here in the 508 is not simply a replacement: it is a bigger car and sits somewhere between the old 407 and 607.
It’s a handsome car. In some ways it is quite generic, making it blend in more with the German marques and with perhaps less of the flair of the other recent Peugeots, but the front-end styling is very striking, based largely on the SR1 sports concept of 2010. Quite whether it’s the best-looking car in the segment really depends on the eye of the beholder, but it has to be in with a shout. It will probably be between the 508 and the Kia Optima for that title.
But it is inside where, once again, Peugeot deserves its plaudits. The quality of the cabin is remarkably good. We were driving the most gadget-laden 508 money can buy, which meant there were perhaps too many buttons on the steering wheel, but we had a head-up display, a brilliant JBL audio system and decent climate control. It felt every inch the executive saloon. Space is not an issue inside the cabin, even for rear-seat passengers, and luggage space is generous too.
What for us, deserves special mention in the 508 is the excellent ride comfort and the impressive handling. The steering felt very composed and this is a very easy car to spend time in.
The choice of engines is confined to a range of diesels and while most will choose the 112bhp 1.6-litre HDi engine as a default setting, this is where we would like to influence your potential purchase. If you are considering the 508 then the 2.0-litre 140bhp HDi is the one to buy.
While the starting point of the 508 range is the €24,850 112bhp 1.6 HDi Access, you pay €27,300 to jump up a notch to the Active Grade with the same engine (gaining you alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, auto lights and wipers and rear parking aid).
If you can stretch your budget to €29,100 you can have the 140bhp 2.0-litre HDi which is a much more refined and potent engine and only adds 1g/km of CO2 to the 1.6 HDi. That means there’s no tax penalty for stepping up to the better engine.
The third alternative is the e-HDi 1.6-litre that comes with Stop/Start technology and an electronically controlled “ecomatique” transmission that reduces the emissions to band A. For all its eco credentials and tax savings, we’d give this a miss: whatever benefit you draw from its cleaner carbon footprint will be lost in expletives emitted by its driver over the horrendously jerky, electronically controlled gearbox that’s akin to letting your five year-old change gears for you.
We were driving the top spec Allure version, which gains keyless entry, full-leather upholstery, front parking sensors, electric parking brake, electric-heated front seats, front and rear carpet mats and 18-inch alloys.
There is no sign of the 163bhp 2.0-litre HDi Automatic on the new price list, but we were told at the time of launch that €35,150 would secure one of these.
The difficulty for Peugeot is the fact that even at this stage of the year most new car buyers have already made up their mind and signed cheques for their 2011 car. It’s likely that Toyota and Volkswagen and Ford will continue to dominate the market with their offerings for this year.
By the time 2012 comes along Kia and Hyundai will be additional threats. But this Peugeot is genuinely, very good. It is leaning towards the premium end of its segment without having the premium price tag.
The other difficulty is that this is not now the only refined, well-built, low-emission family car that starts from around €25,000. They virtually all do at this stage.
Against all these the 508 will continue to struggle to find its voice. But if Peugeot can ride the crest of the good feeling brought on by their niche offerings then they will enjoy a generous slice of success and put distance between themselves and French rivals in this segment. Citroen’s C5 is good but off most people’s radars, and the Laguna isn’t good enough to compete with any of these cars.
What is clear is that for buyers in this segment the research required is getting longer as the choice increases, but whereas previous buyers would have dropped Peugeot from its considerations, this new 508 simply must be on your shortlist if you want to choose from the best in the class.
Factfile
Engine1,997cc four-cylinder turbo diesel putting out 140bhp at 4,000rpm, with 320Nm of torque at 2,000rpm with a six-speed manual transmission
0-100km/h9.8 secs
L/100km (mpg)Urban - 6.4 (44.1); extra-urban - 3.9 (72.4); combined - 4.8 (58.8)
Emissions(motor tax) 125 g/km (€156)
SpecificationStandard features include dual front, side and curtain airbags; ABS; ESP; traction and stability control; electric windows; 16' steel wheels. Active spec adds: auto wipers and headlights; cruise control; USB/MP3 connection and Bluetooth; climate control; rear parking aid; 17' alloys; full-size spare wheel. Allure spec adds: keyless entry; full Nappa leather upholstery - Marston, electric parking brake, heated front seats, front and rear parking aid; 18' alloys. Options fitted to test car (€1,200): JBL HiFi system with Head Up Display
Price€32,550 (starts at €24,850)