Fans of the Peugeot 407 may recognise this 508 as its saloon successor - whereas others
may just associate it with taxi drivers.
But regardless of how you look at it, the 508 is a very important model for Peugeot,
helping it tackle the Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat and Vauxhall Insignia.
Now it has been tweaked a few times since its launch it 2011, with key upgrades to its
interior quality and engines.
There’s actually been some exterior tweaks as well like this new barred grille with a
sunken badge – which is in line with other current Peugeots…
And I actually think the 508 looks rather handsome.
The interior of the 508 definitely has a comfortable saloon feel about it and, to match that, it
also has loads of kit as standard with a seven-inch touchscreen with sat-nav, DAB digital radio
and Bluetooth, automatic dual-zone climate control and cruise control.
This GT Line trim, which was recently added, gets some nice alloys and half-leather seats
as well.
Although it is quite luxurious in here, you may find the positioning of some of its features
a little counter intuitive, like these cup holders that block the menu buttons and the
screen, this arm rest which opens sideways, this confusing splash of buttons on the steering
wheel and the button to turn off the stop/start system, which is all the way down here.
But the 508 was first launched about five years ago – so expect the next generation
to rectify small issues like this and even feature Peugeot’s latest de-cluttered i-cockpit,
which will no doubt work its magic.
If I was to be driven around back here I would be very happy, there’s loads of legroom
and decent headroom – and you’ve got a slightly reclined, luxurious seating position.
You’ve also got a fold down arm rest, small transmission hump and decent-sized door bins.
… yep, that just happened.
So, with all the seats in position you’ve got 473 litres of boot space – as well as
some under floor storage.
That is a little behind its competitors though.
Fold the seats down and you get 1,052 litres – again not as big as competitors, but it’s
still very practical and usable.
Powering this 508 is a 118bhp 1.6-litre diesel, which we have mated to a six-speed automatic.
Now, this engine definitely falls into one of those ‘will do everything you need it
to’ categories – I mean there’s plenty of pull, 300Nm in fact, there’s enough power
for overtaking on the motorway and it will slurp fuel at a sensible rate – you should
get around the 60mpg mark.
And CO2 is quoted at just 102g/km – 99g/km if you go for the six-speed manual gearbox.
There’s more power on offer in the 508 with a 2.0-litre diesel, but after driving this
I doubt you’re going to feel like you need it.
This six-speed auto, although hardly a quick-shifting sports transmission, is fit for purpose and
changes smoothly through all six gears.
The only thing you may possibly need to get used to is this slightly laborious gear shifter.
The character of the 508 on the road is better than I was expecting.
For such a big car it has impressive body control in the corners and the steering, although
slightly over assisted, does offer good feedback and the increased weight you get at around
a three-quarter turn actually helps engage you in the corners.
Ride wise, the 508 absorbs most bumps no fuss at all, but you can feel it getting unsettled
over bigger bumps through the steering, but this won’t bother your passengers.
If you want to compete on a higher level, sometimes you need to price your product accordingly.
That’s what Peugeot has done with the 508 as prices start from £23,125, that’s more
expensive than the Vauxhall Insignia, Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat.
So, will people pay that?
And should you pay that?
Well, as a whole package it is a good car, but there’s no denying that the 508 has
a few areas that need a bit of tweaking, It drives well and has a range of excellent
diesel engines, but the interior feels like it needs a bit of a makeover.
The current 508 is a good all-round package, but the next-gen model will be an interesting
one to look out for, especially if you are after something a little different.
But what do you think of the 508?
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