Peugeot 508: one name for the 407 and the 607

The Peugeot 508 is a mid-size family car that Peugeot has produced since 2010, with the 508 SW estate following in 2011. Since 2012 it has been the flagship of the range, above the 208 and 308 in size.

Peugeot 508 at a glance

History of the Peugeot 508

A single replacement model

The 508 replaced both the 407 and the 607 under one nameplate, with no direct successor planned for either. It shares its platform and most engines with the second-generation Citroën C5, and the two cars are built alongside each other at Rennes in France and in Wuhan in China for the Chinese market. The saloon is 4.79 m long and the SW estate 4.81 m, and compared with the 407 the 508 has a shorter front overhang and a longer rear passenger compartment.

Details and images leaked to the web on 12 July 2010, Peugeot released more information on 6 September, and the car was officially launched at the Paris Motor Show in 2010. Chinese production with Dongfeng began on 10 August 2011, and in 2011 Peugeot expected China to become the largest market for the car at almost twice the French volume, which would have been the first time the company sold more of a European model in another country than in France.

Engines and economy

Peugeot equipped the European 508 with its HDi common-rail diesels. The 1.6 HDi 112 could be ordered with the e-HDi micro-hybrid system and an electronically controlled automatic gearbox, which cut consumption to 4.20 l/100 km with 109 g/km of CO2; that matched the Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion, and the 508’s slightly larger tank gave it a range of 1,637 km. At least two e-HDi engines were available in 2011 and 2012, the first at 114 g/km and the later at 109 g/km thanks to a modified air intake. The range also included PSA’s HYbrid4 diesel-electric system, with 3.80 l/100 km and 99 g/km. The top GT had a 2.2-litre turbodiesel of 204 PS and 458 Nm, with a six-speed torque-converter automatic and paddles. Euro NCAP gave the car five stars in 2011.

508 RXH

At the Frankfurt show in 2011 Peugeot revealed the 508 RXH, a hybrid-electric crossover estate with flared arches and a colour-coded grille carrying three columns of LED daytime running lights on each side. Its HYbrid4 system combined a 120 kW 2.0-litre HDi FAP diesel with a 27 kW electric motor to reach 4.2 l/100 km. It offered four modes: Auto, for economy with early upshifts and frequent electric running; Sport, with 150 kW and 450 Nm up to 120 km/h; 4WD, keeping the diesel running to charge the battery and drive the rear wheels; and ZEV, electric-only at up to about 60 km/h with a range of roughly 3 km, when the battery is at least a third full.

Facelift and awards

The 508 was facelifted in 2015 with a vertical grille carrying the lion in the centre, a redesigned front and full LED headlights, along with new engines and front-wheel drive for the RXH. It won Car of the Year in Spain for 2011, awarded in 2012, Next Green Car, Best Large Family Car 2011 and Auto Zeitung Best Imported Family Car 2011, with reviewers calling it spacious, well equipped and of excellent build quality, and its 1.6 e-HDi with 109 g/km the most economical in its class.

Design and features

• Two cars in one: the 508 replaced the 407 and the 607.
• e-HDi: 4.20 l/100 km and 109 g/km from the 1.6 diesel.
• HYbrid4: diesel-electric with a rear electric motor, 99 g/km.
• 508 RXH: a crossover estate version of the hybrid.
• Shared with Citroën: built at Rennes with the C5.

Peugeot 508 versions

• Saloon (2010): the original body.
• 508 SW (2011): the estate.
• 508 RXH (2011): hybrid crossover estate.
• GT: 2.2 turbodiesel with 204 PS.
• Facelift (2015): vertical grille, LED headlights and front-wheel-drive RXH.

The 508 replaced the Peugeot 407 and the 607, and sits above the 308 and the 3008. More in the Peugeot collection.

Video: Der neue Peugeot 508 – Deutsch

Video by on YouTube.

Sources

• Peugeot 508, English Wikipedia: launch, platform, engines, RXH, facelift, awards