The idea of buying a car above the C-segment because of rational reasons, has gone pretty obsolete.
If a manufacturer wants people to spend larger amounts of money, they'll need a tempting appearance, handling, technology,
but most importantly, a great driving experience.
Peugeot took their time to find that out, but because of that, they've presented one of the best looking cars...
of 2018. The new 508.
We've put a Volkswagen Arteon next to it, just to find out if there's more behind the looks.
It's clear that the new 508 has made quite an impact, and that after a week of driving it.
I've never seen this much necks turn around for a Peugeot, not even for an RCZ.
It's just incredible how much impact this has made. It was already apparent in Geneva,
but in real life, it's even more impressive.
The question we're trying to answer however, is 'how does it drive?'
For the past 20 years, Peugeot has had their ups and downs.
First of all, they had the 406, which was fantastic, after that came the 407, which was horrible,
after that came the first 508, which was decent,
and now there's this, and itt's better than its predecessor to begin with.
It feels balanced, it feels predictable, it's sportier without it being too dynamic...
It's kind of a curious mix, but it just works.
This GT is meant to be quite sporty. It's got adaptive dampers,
big wheels so you'll feel what's happening beneath the wheels, so you're not completely excluded from the outside world.
The focus lies on getting you from A to B in the most comfortable way, though.
It feels very good. You've got the involvement and the feedback,
without it getting annoying, which is very nice. The only 'but' I've got is the steering,
or rather the way the steering fits in with the rest of the car
The steering wheel is very small, just like we're used to, but it's almost like it's on your lap.
You could say that you've got to adapt, I'd think that's a weird thing to say, but sure.
In other Peugeots, this kind of steering works pretty direct, but that isn't the case in this car.
That means you've got to turn the wheel a lot to make a small corner for example.
That kind of makes it feel like a Playstation-steering wheel, which you used back in the day to play racing games.
You're turning it around a lot and you're actively moving, but the car doesn't seem to want to follow very quickly.
The base is very good, but the execution could be better. Just like the drivetrain.
It's powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre producing 225 horsepower, which is a lot for just a 1.6.
It's connected to an 8-speed fully automatic gearbox, and it's better than anything Peugeot has ever used.
It's smoother, it's quicker, it knows what you want it do,
and it's a very big advantage. Then, the 1.6.
Yes, it has 225 horsepower, but it's got to work pretty hard to produce that amount, and you'll notice that.
The power kicks in at around 2.000 RPM so if you put your foot down, the gearbox has to change down fanatically.
So the performance is available, but it's not easy to get it.
The engine and gearbox have to work pretty hard. It's quiet and insulated very well,
the gearbox is very smooth, so it's not necessarily bad, but it could be a little more apparent.
You can notice that there's a relatively small engine to power a relatively big car.
Relatively big, because the new 508 is shorter than its predecessor, and thus shorter than the Arteon.
Actually, it's narrower, lower... Smaller in every aspect, and you'll notice that.
If I try to sit behind myself, I'm pretty cramped.
The luggage space is also 75 litres smaller, which is quite a big chunk.
And since I'm complaining... In the front, it all looks incredible.
There's a very special atmosphere, the seating is low, and the finishing is of a quality we've never seen before at Peugeot.
That's very good, but it could be more user friendly. They've got hotkeys underneath the multimedia screen,
which helps, but the system itself is too slow. And everything's in there.
Something simple as turning on the airconditioning or dimming the dashboard lighting, everything's done via that menu.
Because it's so slow, you'll spend a lot of time in searching for stuff which keeps away the attention on the road,
so there's room for improvement.
When you take a seat in the back of the Arteon, it's almost like you've gone up a segment.
Just look at the amount of space. The headroom is still limited because of the sloped roof,
but because there's so much more legroom than in the 508, you can sit back.
That grants you so much more freedom. It's wider as well and it even has a bigger boot,
so it's a very convincing win for the Arteon when it comes to practicality.
Then, the dashboard. It's a little more conventional. It's not as special, the seating is higher,
so it feels less sporty, not as compact as the 508... But, because of that, it's easier to operate as well.
I do have to say, this is the most expensive satnav system. You don't get hotkeys around the screen like on cheaper versions,
which is too bad, because you have to scroll through more menu's. However, the menu buttons are so much bigger...
and the response time is so much quicker than in the 508... There's still room for improvement, but it's just better than the 508.
It's all more normal, more Passat-like.
And there's some truth to that, because in essence, the Arteon just is a fancy Passat...
with a sporty roof, and it drives like that as well. So it's more exciting to look at than to drive.
It's very Passat, very middle of the road. It's bigger than the 508 and it feels like that as well.
It's quieter, it's more comfortable, but I have to say this has a normal adaptive suspension...
with extra thick eco tires, whilst the Peugeot is a GT with very thin sports tires.
That does make a difference. This will be more comfortable but the Peugeot will have more grip when you start to push it.
Basically, they feel about the same. Both are good, but it'll come down to your personal preference.
This feels more coherent, because of the bigger steering wheel which feels more direct as well.
That means you don't have to move about the whole time. The steering position just feels more natural,
not necessarily better or worse than the Peugeot. Then, the drivetrain, which is completely different as well.
This has a 2.0-litre TSI producing 190 horsepower, which is 35 less than the Peugeot,
but it has 20 more torques. Also, it's available at lower revs.
Something you'll notice, because the engine just doesn't have to work as hard.
That means it's easier to get going in higher gears, and it also means the double clutch DSG-gearbox doesn't have...
to look for the optimal gear as much. If you put your foot down, it changes down to the gear...
which it thinks is the right one, and accelerating goes very smoothly,
which is good for the quietness aboard. It's not measurably quicker or anything,
but it feels easier, smoother, and more natural. Also, it's more economical than the Peugeot.
The Peugeot does 13,5 km per litre, and this one does 15 km.
That's an advantage.
And there a few other rational examples where the Volkswagen just scores better.
It's more spacious, it's easier to use, but if those are your priorities, you should get a Passat.
That's even more spacious, and cheaper as well.
No, it has to have an X-factor as well, you should actually want the car.
When it comes to wanting one, I think the 508 has the advantage. It's remarkable to look at and to sit in.
Also, the new 508 is on a level the old one never even dreamt of.
I really want the 508 to win, hopefully the scorecard agrees with me...