The Peugeot 408 is on sale now, giving you a family-friendly alternative to the likes of evergreen crossovers like the Nissan Qashqai. Prices start from £31,050.
Update: Since this guide was published we have driven the new Peugeot 408. Click here to read our full Peugeot 408 Review
Peugeot 408 Exterior and Interior Design
The Peugeot 408 has been designed to offer an alternative to family car buyers looking for the practicality of a boxy crossover, but in a more stylish package. It blends coupe looks with a crossover-style raised driving position, and the practicality of a hatchback boot.
You get all the styling cues you would expect of a modern Peugeot. The gaping grille, bookended by spiky LEDs, makes the 408 look like a lion (the company’s mascot) yawning, with sleek LEDs taking the place of eyes.
Body creases and chunky cladding give the 408 big-cat muscle in profile, and the car’s raised ride height versus a conventional large family car – like the Volkswagen Passat – will prove useful over speed humps and deteriorating road surfaces.
Around the back, a tapered roofline makes the 408 look more crossover than SUV, but the hatchback bootlid – which rises to leave a huge boot opening – means it’ll be easy to make the most of the Peugeot’s 536-litre boot.
In terms of dimensions, the 408 is 4699mm long and 1480mm tall, making it slightly longer and shorter than a Nissan Qashqai.
Inside, all versions of the 408 get a 10-inch digital instrument binnacle and 10-inch central infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Peugeot 408 Engines, Plug-In Hybrid tech and Performance
The Peugeot 408 will be available with a choice of one petrol and two plug-in hybrid petrol engines. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is fitted as standard.
The petrol is the same 1.2-litre 128bhp PureTech that has been used in everything from the 208 small car to the 5008 large family SUV. Expect it to deliver the same, surprisingly punchy performance in the 408, which on paper delivers 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds and has a top speed of 130mph. Fuel economy of around 45mpg should be achievable in a mixture of driving.
The plug-in hybrid models come in 180 and 225 flavours, producing 178 and 222bhp respectively. Both models use a 1.6-litre petrol engine that’s boosted by a combination of an 81kW electric motor and a 12.4kWh battery, which means the 408 can drive up to 40 miles on cheap battery power alone. Charging takes less than 2hrs from a wall-mounted home charger.
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The 180 model gets from 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds and hits 140mph flat out, while the 225 completes the same sprint in 7.8 seconds and hits 145mph flat out.
Peugeot 408 Price and Release Date
The Peugeot 408 is on sale now with prices starting from £31,050 for a 128bhp petrol model or £38,400 for a 178bhp hybrid in Allure trim. Standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 180-degree parking camera and, on the inside, leatherette upholstery and ambient lighting.
Allure Premium models start from £32,175 and add 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, and a suite of autonomous driving aids. GT versions, meanwhile, get a sporty body kit on the outside and a 3D instrument binnacle display on the inside. Driving modes mean you can also adjust the car’s steering, throttle and gearbox.
First Edition models cost an eye-watering £45,000, although they only come with the top-of-the-range 222bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain and get posh kit like electrically adjustable-, heated- and massaging seats.
We'll be driving the Peugeot 408 in a couple of weeks, so keep your eyes on the CarGurus research homepage to read a full review, complete with video.