Peugeot 508 Review (2018-present)

What is the Peugeot 508?

Peugeot went for bold when it launched the current 508 in 2018, not least because the family saloon and estate markets have seen their sales volumes plummet, as buyers migrate into SUVs. Carmakers therefore have to think long and hard before committing millions of pounds into developing new models, not knowing for sure if consumers will shell out for them.

As a result, Peugeot has taken a different tack with its largest model, eschewing the rather staid styling of the previous generation – and saloons of the past, traditionally a rather conservative segment of the car market – and adopted a sportier look with its Fastback hatch and SW estate models.

The swooping roof is part of an exterior design that impresses with its cutting-edge modernity. The same goes for the grille – which comes with a studded or slatted design, depending on the trim level – and the rear of the car, with its spoiler-like boot lip. Like the Volkswagen Arteon, it looks as if the Audi A5 Sportback has had some influence.

The SW estate is, likewise, a sleek and elegant car: the elongated profile doesn’t have the swooping roof, but it still cuts quite a dash on the road. These machines offer enough premium appeal that they might just make dyed-in-the-wool Audi, BMW and Mercedes customers take a second look. A facelift in 2023 updated the 508's infotainment system and styling, with a new LED headlight and grille treatment to bring the car into line with Peugeot's newer models, including the slightly smaller 408.

How practical is it?

The interior of the 508 features quality materials throughout, which look good, but on closer inspection they’re not quite up to the standard of those found in the likes of an Audi A4, BMW 3 Series or even the Arteon. The i-Cockpit set-up of a 12.5-inch instrument display that you peer at over a small steering wheel, as opposed to through it, takes some getting used to, but it is an improvement on previous iterations of trademark Peugeot layout that’s found in other models.

Given that the 508 is the sort of car that’s aimed at company car user choosers that are likely to spend their life on the road, it’s no surprise to find the interior is packed with useful storage for smartphones, notebooks and drinks bottles. There are usefully-sized door bins, cupholders, a deep cubby ahead of the gear lever and lidded storage between the front seats.

Yet while the interior looks and feels pleasant, space for passengers is compromised by the sloping roof of the hatchback model: headroom for adult passengers is limited and there isn’t additional legroom to compensate by hunkering down in the seat. It’s not exactly uncomfortable, but taller adults won’t thank you after a long haul trip.

It's a similar story with the boot space. Despite its saloon car looks, the 508 actually gets much more useful hatchback opening, which means an impressively large opening. Yet the carrying capacity of 487-litres is distinctly average - a 3 Series saloon manages 480 litres, while a Skoda Superb gives you a cavernous 625 litres to play with. Still, the rear seats fold easily and when lowered leave a healthy 1,537-litres.

The SW serves-up more space, but with 530 litres it’s one of the smaller estate models in its class, although dropping the rear bench frees-up a decent 1,780 litres of overall volume.

What's it like to drive?

The 508’s driving abilities are fairly impressive. It feels dynamic and engaging on the road; not in a way that can match a BMW 3 Series, but more than we expect from most mainstream cars. The steering is direct and accurate, especially when you get used to the smaller wheel in your hands, there’s plenty of grip and the body feels tautly controlled when cornering.

Yet the Peugeot combines this crisp handling with the sort of supple ride that used to be a trademark of the brand. Better still, noise levels are impressively low, helping make the 508 an relaxed and refined long distance cruiser. This is particularly true of models fitted with adaptive dampers (GT Premium and PSE), which allows the suspension to be stiffened or softened at the touch of a button.

There’s a choice of 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre HDi diesel engine, both of which are commendably refined and muscular performers. The latter is a particularly good choice if you rack up a lot of motorway miles, as it combines strong performance with strong efficiency.

There’s also a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid that deliver a healthy 222bhp, and around 30 miles of zero emissions motoring in its EV mode. However, while its quite and responsive enough, the transition between battery and internal combustion power can be a little jerky.

Speaking of plug-in hybrids, sitting at the top of the 508 line-up is the PSE (that’s Peugeot Sport Engineered, should you want to know), a high performance version that has its sights set on premium rivals such as the BMW M340i and Audi S4. With 335bhp it’s no slouch and it feels particularly brisk in the mid-ranges, where it makes light work of overtaking slower traffic.

The PSE also gets lowered and stiffened suspension, making it a surprisingly engaging sports saloon (or estate, because you can also get it in SW estate guise). The steering is accurate and well-weighted, there’s bags of grip and a remarkably composed ride.

Later in the 508's life the 1.6-litre petrol engine was replaced with a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder unit. Fitting such a small engine into a relatively large car might sound like a recipe for poor peformance, but in fact because the engine is turbocharged it's actually usefully responsive. In fact, we'd go so far as to say that this 129bhp petrol unit is the pick of the engines in the 508 range, and it pairs well with the eight-speed automatic gearbox. Although noisy when starting from cold, this engine becomes more refined once warmed up.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Given that it’s targeted at premium rivals,it’s no surprise to find that the 508 comes with a generous haul of standard kit regardless of the model. The entry-level Active Premium features dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, automatic lights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors and alloy wheels.

Move up to the now discontinued Allure and you get all this kit, plus electric seat adjustment and ambient lighting that bathes the interior in a soft glow at night. For the Allure Premium there’s a powered tailgate, LED headlamps and some extra advanced driver aids, including blind spot monitoring, road sign recognition and a driver drowsiness monitor.

The GT features a subtly sporty exterior makeover, while inside there’s some fancy seat trim with contrast stitching and perforated leather steering wheel. For the GT Premium there’s adaptive dampers, a powerful Focal sound system and a clever automated parking set-up.

With the flagship PSE model you get pretty much everything apart from the kitchen sink. There’s leather and Alcantara trim, heated front seats with a massage function and even night vision.

Like all the latest Peugeots, the 508 gets the firm’s latest touchscreen infotainment system that looks slicker and has a more intuitive interface than previous set-ups. Active premium models get a seven-inch display, while all other versions get a larger 10-inch screen. All feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Peugeot 508 running costs

The 508 engine line-up features a range of petrol, diesel and hybrid engines, so there’s plenty of choice for buyers who have an eye on fuel economy and running costs.

The petrol engines are, as expected, the least economical options, but for a big car, the official figures aren’t too bad. Of the two versions of the 1.6-litre PureTech engine, the lower-powered 178bhp unit is capable of 38.8-44.0mpg, while the 222bhp version returns 37.4-42.2mpg. If you can, however, we'd go for a model with the later 1.2-litre petrol engine, which returned upwards of 42mpg in official tests, and in our experience will match that in mixed driving.

Understandably more economical are the three diesel alternatives, all of which are known by the BlueHDi name. The base variant is a 1.5-litre diesel engine, available with six-speed manual or eight-speed EAT8 automatic gearboxes, that can officially consume 53.7-63.6mpg (manual) or 52.4-62.0mpg (automatic). Again, real-world consumption won’t match these numbers, but 50-mpg could be realistic.

If you choose an Allure or GT Line trim, you also have the option of a 2.0-litre diesel with a 158bhp output, which can return 45.4 to 52.9mpg on paper. This doesn’t look particularly impressive, especially when compared to the Skoda Superb’s 65.7 to 72.4mpg.

Exclusive to GT trim level buyers is a 2.0-litre diesel with a little extra power, producing 178bhp. There’s a slight economy penalty for this additional thrust, with the unit able to theoretically return 45.7-50.3mpg.

If you really want to save money on running costs, however, the Hybrid version is the one to go for, although it's worth noting that you will have to spend more upfront, with a premium of anything from £2,000 to £6,000 over cars with the same trim level. However, the Hybrid is more powerful than the petrol or diesel versions, which does account for some of the additional cost, but you’ll need to do some sums to work out whether you can claw back the difference in fuel savings over the ownership period. The 217mpg figure is very much a theoretical figure, which is only achievable if you spend the majority of your time driving under electric power, and with just 30 miles between charges, that will mean mostly using the 508 for short urban journeys and charging the battery frequently.

Insurance costs are broadly in line with the 508’s main competitors, with groups ranging between 22 and 34, depending on the choice of engine and trim.

Peugeot 508 reliability

The 508 doesn't sell in huge volumes, which in turn makes it difficult to get much data surrounding its reliability. For example, it didn't appear in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, although Peugeot as a brand put in a middling performance, placing 21st out of the 32 brands included. That puts it behind the likes of Hyundai, Kia, Citroen and Skoda, but ahead of Volkswagen, Mercedes, Audi and Jaguar.

Peugeot’s three-year, unlimited warranty is pretty average by today's standards, as is the fact that the battery in the plug-in hybrid is covered by a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.