2017 Peugeot 508 Reviews

Alistair Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2016 Peugeot 508 Allure with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Alistair Kennedy road tests and reviews the Peugeot 508 at its Australian launch.

Chris Riley road tests and reviews the 2015 Peugeot 508 at its Australian launch.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the new Peugeot 508 at its international launch.

Peugeot’s 508 sedan and wagon replaced the 407 last year with the aim of becoming a strong contender in the Aussie large car market. Since the 508 landed here mid-2011 it has slowly established ground, accounting for 828 of the 3,483 Peugeot sales so far this year. However, its rivals the Volkswagen Passat with 3,432 sales and Ford Mondeo with 3,554 sales are clear front runners. The 508 GT version tested here was a late arrival to the line-up, rolling into Peugeot showrooms in April this year, so has had a shorter time to prove itself. VALUEPriced from $55,990, standard features include an eight-speaker stereo, Bluetooth connectivity, 12V auxiliary sockets, tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, leather seats, glass sunroof, driving lamps and fog lamps. And the warranty is a standard 3 years with 100,000km roadside assist.There are several optional extras that can raise the price by nearly $8,000 including 19-inch alloy wheels for $500, power tailgate for $1000, Nappa leather seats with memory settings for $2500 and premium pearl white paint for $1300.You can also add GPS satellite navigation for $1500 or GPS satellite navigation plus JBL HiFi for $2300. But the navigation system is the old school ‘scroll to each letter and number’ rather than a more user-friendly touch screen. However, once your destination is locked in the directions are clear and it works efficiently, and it shows you the closest petrol stations and other handy landmarks nearby.TECHNOLOGYThe 508 gets a 2.2-litre 4-cylinder engine with 150kW of power and 450Nm of torque. And the GT version comes with double wishbone suspension and a 0-100km/h time of 8.4 seconds, more than a second quicker than the Touring Allure.It’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission (no manual variant is available) and the only fuel type available is diesel, with an official combined fuel economy of 5.9L/100km. However we tested the wagon on a mix of city streets, major highways and quiet country roads and returned an average of 7.4L/100km - nearly 20 per cent higher.DESIGNThe 508 GT Touring has a classic wagon silhouette, with a large bonnet and extended rear. The wide grille is flanked by two slanting headlights and there is chrome detailing on the windows and door handles – overall the 508 is attractive. A nice touch is the electronic side mirrors that open and close when you unlock or lock the 508. On the inside there’s a leather steering wheel, with embellished stitching and Peugeot’s signature black piano lacquered detailing. What you’ll really notice is the abundance of features. The dashboard and shift knob are surrounded by buttons that deliver surprises to the driver. Our favourite has to be the “massaging” driver’s seat feature that adds to the luxury feel.There are sports styled speedometers, and several information displays including fuel consumption, km to empty and suburb location. There’s also an impressive panoramic sunroof that reaches all the way to the rear of the wagon, with the rear and back windows tinted to cut UV and provide privacy. The power tailgate makes loading the boot easy, just press the button and toss all your gear in there.As with all things there are a few negatives. The inside lacks places for your bits and pieces, as there’s only a very small central compartment and two cup holders. So you’ll struggle to find a place for a large water bottle or any other personal items that you want within arm’s reach.SAFETYThe 508 has a 5 star ANCAP crash rating with safety features that include six airbags, ABS and electronic brake force distribution, central locking, fog lamps at the front and rear, Bi-Xenon headlamps, park assist and tyre pressure sensors.DRIVINGWhile the GT designation might raise your hopes of it being a hot version, it’s not a sports performance wagon. In the 508’s case the GT stands for Grand Tourer and spells out an effortless and comfortable driving experience.The noise of the diesel engine only slightly enters the cabin, and the sound itself is pleasing - Peugeot knows its stuff when it comes to diesel engines. The 508 Touring takes off quickly and stops just as well, with refined and progressive brake feel.The six-speed automatic transmission is well mated to the 2.2-litre engine, with plenty of power on climbs and the suspension handles rough surfaces well. While the overall drive experience is more than adequate, the steering control lets it down with the electronic system giving a numb feeling around sharper corners.The large side mirrors assist when reversing and there are also front sensors - although you might wish there weren’t after a little while with their sensitive reactions beeping loudly near anything they see as an obstruction - we quickly found the noise distracting. And as with many other wagons the turning circle for the 4813mm body is a bit wide at 12.2 metres.VERDICTWhile it’s not the cheapest wagon out there, those looking for that extra something special will not be disappointed: classic wagon body, prestige features and a comfortable drive.

The original Lion brand has been in and out of my personal life since I first drew breath - I grew up riding in the back of a 504 and spent time in a number of models during my formative years - 405, 205, 505 and a classic 404. Having sampled the flagship 2.2-litre turbodiesel 508 GT we're spending time in a mid-spec

Two decades ago Peugeot started to lose the plot. Its armchair-soft ride and sense of toughness - both in feel and in its chunky styling - drifted into mainstream and suddenly the French car was easy prey for the Asian car makers.Thanks to its 508, I think it's back to the old days. There is a return to that elegance yet strength of design, the comfortable chairs and a cockpit that appears simple yet is quietly comprehensive.This is Peugeot for the masses, unlike some previous models that appealed only to Europhiles. The 508's contemporary styling, sensible cabin and dash and a sweet drivetrain make it a very attractive buy for a broad range of motorists.VALUEVery good. The Allure HDi (turbo-diesel) isn't the top-line version yet has an excellent equipment list including leather, four-zone airconditioning, Bluetooth with audio streaming, keyless start and entry, front and rear park sensors, cruise control with brake function, panoramic glass roof and a “parking assistant” that calculates if the car will fit a chosen parking bay.Clearly, eyeballs are now redundant. It matches the endearing Volkswagen Passat wagon in price (but beats it on features) and is more expensive than the pragmatic Skoda and spacious Mondeo. These big-hitting rivals make it a close call. Peugeot's capped service plan (Ford also has one for six years but Volkswagen has none) helps it here.DESIGNYou'll miss this on the road and probably never find it again in a shopping centre carpark because it has few distinguishing features. Bland is a word that springs to mind yet it still has appeal for its clean lines and simplicity.The wagon shape is less boxy than most yet is remarkably spacious. But it's the cabin that gets more attention. It boasts a subtle blend of quality materials, upmarket design and comprehensive features.But personal storage space, especially in the tiny centre console, is poor. Clever ideas are the puddle lamps that shine at night beneath the mirrors, soft orange cabin lighting and backlit controls on the steering wheel. There's some discreet chrome edging trim to piano black highlights and quality carpets for the cabin and boot floor. The rear windows get sunshades to protect occupants, which is great for children.TECHNOLOGYThere's a lot of clever stuff hidden beneath that simple, aerodynamic exterior. The bonnet is aluminium, the 508 is 85 per cent recyclable and materials from sustainable sources make up 14 per cent of the car's 230kg of green polymers. These green materials are used in 30 car parts.The 120kW/340Nm turbo-diesel has a particulate filter (called FAP which reduces hydrocarbons) mated to a six-speed auto with paddle shifters. The 508 Allure gets MacPherson front suspension yet, oddly, the more expensive 508 GT has double wishbones.SAFETYThere are six airbags, a five-star crash rating, high pedestrian safety, automatic headlights and wipers and even a full-size spare on an alloy wheel. The Allure also gets cruise control with sensors to brake the car automatically.DRIVINGEverything points to a great drive but though the 508 wagon is very capable, there are a lot of soft corners. The engine is strong and well mated to the six-speed auto. This box tickles the engine's capabilities best by using the paddle shifters and the only downer is the typical turbo-lag at low revs and a gearshift pattern that changes up too quickly.It is a quiet, long-distance machine well suited to highways but isn't a sharp handler when pushed. The electric-assist steering is too vague to relay much information to the driver and though the car grips well through the bends, becomes a bit uncomfortable as the compliant suspension leads to bodyroll. Peugeot's switchgear has come a long way in the past few decades and now equates to the Asians in terms of ease of use and simplicity. The driver's seat could do with more padding or support.VERDICTPut this on your shopping list.

VALUE from $42,990VALUE from $54,990Making the S60 look horribly over-priced, the Allure is standard with front and rear parking sensors (and parallel parking measurement), heated door mirrors, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, quad-zone climate control, rainsensing wipers, daytime running lights and much more.At $12,000 more than the Peugeot, the Volvo is awfully pricey. It gets, as standard, all of the usual equipment such as Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, electrically adjustable front seats and leather. But satnav is a $4K-plus option and it gets only rear sensors. Front sensors add $325. Hmmm.TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGYThe 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel makes 120kW/340Nm with almost 80 per cent of the grunt available from just off idle. The smooth six-speed automatic helps with impressive fuel use of 5.7L/100km. Its electrically assisted power steering is miles better than the Swede's.The 2.0-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel puts out 120kW/400Nm via a six-speed Powershift transmission - Ford's excellent take on a DSG. Fuel use is 5.7L/100km. The electrically assisted steering is far too disconnected. For $4175 you can add Volvo's active chassis control, Four-C.DESIGNDESIGNInside and out, Peugeot's designers have excelled and the 508 in either sedan or wagon guise is stunning.There isn't a single hiccup in the design. There's a heap of room front and rear and the quality of the materials is impressive, as is the boot space, 497 litres.The S60 has a swooping coupe-like look. The dash layout is pretty good but it lacks the quality look and feel of the 508's interior. There's decent room front and rear and ample steering and seating adjustment, yet you never feel totally comfortable behind the wheel. Boot space is only 380 litres.SAFETYSAFETYIt has a five-star ANCAP rating and six airbags as standard. Passive safety elements complement its active systems. The steering column and brake pedal are collapsible and there are seat belt pre-tensioners, stability and traction control among many other items.It's a Volvo, so just how safe is it? The S60 gets a five-star ANCAP rating and, as standard, City Safety (to avoid rearenders at up to 30km/h), six airbags, stability control, ABS with Ready Alert Brakes, seat belt pre-tensioners and Intelligent Driver Information System.DRIVINGDRIVINGThe typically French well-damped ride doesn't fall apart when you ask more from the car. There's barely a shudder on coarser bitumen. The steering is well weighted, the brakes are strong, all adding to the sense the 508 is more expensive than it really is.The chassis allows for spirited driving with impressive body control. Plenty of grip, too. The brakes are strong, even if the pedal is a little dead. The wellmatched engine and gearbox deliver strong, smooth oomph to flatten hills and make overtaking a cinch.FINAL POINTSFINAL POINTSVerdictThe 508 makes sense fiscally, it makes sense visually and in a driverly sense. As for the Volvo, well, it's good, but the Peugeot really does hit it for six.  

What's in name? Not a lot if it's the GT version of Peugeot's suave 508 - or is there? The term "GT'', or gran turismo, is usually reserved for high-performance sports models, a definition that doesn't really apply to the 508 GT, even though this diesel-powered sedan is no slouch. In this case the GT tag stands for 'gran tourer', and if you dig deeper you'll find the GT tag is steeped in Peugeot's history, firstly with the 505 GTi in the late 1970s to early 1980s and then in a long line of hot hatches - GTi versions of the 205, the 206 and the 207.So does the 508 deserve the GT tag? Yes, if your priority is serene open-road cruising where the engine's effortless and elastic performance shines.DESIGNVisually the GT is hard to pick from the other sedans in the 508 stable. It is based on the 2.0-litre diesel Allure, but there are no badges to give the game away, only the alloy wheel design.The dash layout is clean and uncluttered and mostly easy to master. Full marks to the head-up display, which pops out of the dash top on start up and displays road speed - a bonus around town given the ease with which it gains momentum.However oddment storage, which is not great in the normal 508, is even tighter in the GT. The sat nav and heated seat controls take up the space aft of the gearshift, relegating the key to the ashtray or the cramped centre box. Almost everything else has to go in the door bins.TECHNOLOGYIt gets a bigger engine, a 2.2-litre turbo diesel that pumps out an impressive 150kW at 3500rpm and 450Nm of torque from 2000rpm, or 30kW and 150Nm than the 2.0-litre diesel in the other 508s. And it doesn't use any more fuel than a 2.0-litre, both scoring 5.7l/100km on the combined cycle. On test it returned 6.3l/100km With a 72-litre fuel tank, the GT has a generous touring range in excess of 1200km.VALUEAt $52,990, the GT is $10,000 more than the 2.0-litre diesel Allure sedan. The extra outlay adds the bigger engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, a head-up display screen, directional xenon headlights with washers and adaptive main beam, an alarm and tyre-pressure sensors, but a space-saver spare instead of a full-size steel wheel. This is in addition to the Allure's six airbags, stability control, quad-zone climate control, leather trim, cruise control, parking sensors, electric park brakes, engine stop/start button, trip computer, hill-start assist, heated and folding mirrors, single-CD eight-speaker audio with Bluetooth and USB connection, side and rear sun blinds, finger-touch locking and unlocking, auto headlights and wipers, fog lights and day lights.Options include satellite navigation, Nappa leather seats and a power driver's seat with memory. Like the Allure, the interior is warm and inviting, well-appointed and thankfully free of gimmicks and complex controls.DRIVINGIt is not so rewarding in the twisty bits where the front-drive layout shows its shortcomings lacking the fine cornering balance and steering agility of a true GT.While the double wishbone aluminium front suspension delivers superior grip and a more disciplined ride than the MacPherson strut layout of the normal 508, there is still some scrabble and thump from the front inside wheel on lumpy corners and rough edges. The result is more muscular acceleration and lustier mid-range response.From rest, not much happens until 1700rpm, then the GT erupts with strong and fluid shove without any hesitation from the smooth and decisive six-speed automatic transmission. A tall sixth gear has it cruising serenely at 1750rpm at 100km/h. Noise levels are so low most passengers won't pick it for a diesel. Overall, the GT forte is serene long-distance touring and is well equipped for the price, which coincidentally is the same as a Subaru Liberty GT.

Large cars need large engines, is the traditional wisdom. Capacity is king and you need at least a six, preferably an eight. Without one, it's a case of all mouth and no trousers. Ask any Holden or Ford owner.But times are changing. Soon, there will be mandatory emissions standards for all cars sold in Australia that mirror the sorts of schemes in place in Europe and elsewhere. They will be especially challenging for local makers, which specialise in large cars.Every year the large sedan slips further down the buyers wish lists, with nothing seemingly able to arrest the fall. To Ford and Holden, part of the solution is better fuel economy. Hence the 3.0-litre V6 Commodore with direct fuel injection launched two years ago, a smaller engine but still a six.Then there's the Falcon EcoLPi (see this page) using another version of the 4.0-litre straight six unit that's in the vast majority of Falcons still on the road. But next year Ford will introduce a four-cylinder Falcon for the first time in its 50-year existence.Even without emissions standards, these are essential moves. The large car market has always been dominated by fleets, which account for 70 per cent of the market. Increasingly, governments and businesses must bow to internal green agendas.If Commodores and Falcons cannot comply, then your next work vehicle may be something else entirely. The idea of a large sedan with a four-cylinder engine is less alien in Europe and, in technological terms, they have a head start. Their engines already achieve standards still to be implemented here.At least as important, prices have moved decisively in favour of imports, with vehicle tariffs as low as they can go and a high Australian dollar making them cheap. With premium prices, they have struggled to get mainstream traction. Now it's going to get easier.The first European to be listed in the mainstream large category was a Skoda sedan called the Superb. It arrived two years ago with a 2.0-litre diesel and 1.8-litre petrol, both turbocharged four-cylinders. It has been no more than a nick in the side of the locals, with sales in the hundreds.VALUEBut now there's another. The Peugeot 508, which has just gone on sale, pushes the price and economy argument even further. It arrives with two diesels and will soon be available with a 115kW turbo 1.6-litre petrol from $36,990, undercutting the cheapest Falcon or Commodore by thousands.TECHNOLOGYThe 1.6-litre petrol, which many Australians would view as on the small side for a hatchback, uses 7.1 litres per 100km while both the diesels achieve just 5.7. The best a Commodore can do is 9.1l/100km and the Falcon 9.9l/100km. The 508 will soon be able to offer so-called “micro-hybrid'' features such as stop-start at idle to return fuel economy of 4.4. These systems are common at the luxury level of the market but still making there way into the mainstream. However, Ford and Holden are years behind.Running costs are a huge issue for fleets but fuel is only one factor. To dispel concerns about the price of servicing imports, Peugeot has tailored a three-year capped deal that offers three scheduled pit stops for no more than $330 each. It's the same deal for private buyers and fleets. Perhaps Peugeot will save a six-cylinder for a two-door because there's no V6 in this line-up. The smallest diesel, a 2.0-litre, starts at $42,990 and a wagon adds $3000. All engines comply with the latest Euro V toxic emission standards and come in well under the expected Australian CO2 emissions target for 2015 of 190g per kilometre.The GT model with more power gets the same economy but is quicker to 100km/h, at 8.2 seconds. It gains wishbones at the front suspension instead of struts, and larger alloys.DESIGNThe 508 replaces two cars in the Peugeot line-up: the 407, which started in the low-$40,000 and came as a sedan, wagon or coupe; and the 607, a $70,000-plus car that whittled out a lonely career as an unloved sedan.The 508 falls between the two on size, with a shorter front overhang and less obvious grille than the ugly 407. It's the first Peugeot to use some of the new design language explored in the SR1 concept from last year. The SR1 itself suggests a coupe may join the sedan and wagon later.The list of features available is impressive and includes a head-up display for the driver, clever directional headlamps and electronic park brake. It presents well, with the wagon more pleasing visually and a well put together interior that's two notches above the locals for quality and appeal.There's leather and soft plastics, a bit of chrome bling and enough comfort features. The chairs are as accommodatingly wide as any in a Falcon or Commodore.Who says the French don't get fat? The cabin itself isn't as roomy, of course. None of the European aspirants are, unless you go up a badge or two.DRIVEAnd the 508 is unlikely to change the minds of Commodore and Falcon buyers about what constitutes a desirable set of wheels. The two diesels were available at the launch drive in Victoria and they do the job well enough, although you'd miss the Falcon's six up a hill. Or for overtaking.Less so in with the 150kW 2.2-litre, which might test the 3.0-litre Commodore at some speeds. Certainly, Peugeot believes it can outperform its previous V6. The two 508s have different dynamic personalities.The 2.0-litre is pillowy and rolly, with an eagerness to run wide in corners. The bespoke front suspension and larger wheels on the GT lift the thresholds substantially but don't change the character of the car. It's not as precise as one of the local rear-wheel drives.When it comes to the ride quality, the large wheels in the GT are noisier and fussier about road imperfections and the 2.0, but at least both are more comfortable than Peugeots have been recently, with a less troubling ride.Drivers may not have changed what they want, but fleets have changed their buying patterns already. Steeper petrol prices have shifted some to smaller cars. Others have been swept up by the trend to SUVs, which with diesel engines can be relatively cheap to run. Demand for large cars won't rebound on the strength of imports, with Peugeot expecting to ship in about 1000 a yearVERDICTIt badly needs to hit that target if it's going to reach its goal of 8500 buyers next year. That would be its second best result in a decade or about 3000 more than last year.