Revealed earlier this year, the new Peugeot 408 is positioned alongside the more practicality-focused Peugeot 3008 family SUV and below the Peugeot 508 saloon and estate models. It's priced accordingly, starting at £31,050.
Despite its sloping roofline and design-led approach Peugeot claims it's a spacious, versatile family car with a generously-sized boot. It's powered at launch by a pair of plug-in hybrids and a pure petrol version, but there will be an electric Peugeot 408 following soon after.
As expected the new Peugeot 408 has opened for orders at the end of 2022, with customer deliveries due in the first quarter of next year. It's primarily aimed at European and Chinese markets, but will be sold in select other global markets too.
Prices for the Peugeot 408 start at £31,050. That gets you an Allure model with the 130PS 1.2-litre Puretech turbo petrol engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The next trim level, Allure Premium, starts at £32,175 with the same engine, while the Peugeot 408 GT trim kicks off at £34,365.
As is usually the case, it's quite a big jump up in price for the plug-in hybrid version. the cheapest Peugeot 408 PHEV is the Hybrid 180 Allure with 180PS, which is priced at £38,400. That rises to £39,325 and £41,800 for the Allure Premium and GT versions respectively.
Topping the range in engine terms is the Peugeot 408 Hybrid 225, which puts out (yep, you guessed it) 225PS. That starts from £40,670 in Allure Premium trim, rising to £43,200 in GT trim. It's also the sole engine offered in the flagship Peugeot 408 First Edition, priced at £45,000.
It's pricing and size puts it in close competition with higher spec versions of the new Citroen C5 X, a platform-sharing and similarly segment-crossing model that serves as Citroen's current flagship. The Peugeot 408 is more saloon than SUV (hence the single '0' in its name), so rivals also include the Volkswagen Passat and Vauxhall Insignia.
However, those cars compete more directly with the 508, so the list of true competitors for the 408 is a bit blurred. You can include coupe-SUVs such as the Cupra Formentor and Renault Arkana, plus more upmarket models such as the BMW X4 and Audi Q5 Sportback.
The new Peugeot 408 is a pretty groundbreaking shape - that is until you realise how closely related it is to the Citroen C5 X. Regardless, though, the 408's design is striking, with a curvaceous rear-end not too dissimilar to the much more expensive Lamborghini Urus.
You also get a sloping, low roofline and narrow side glass, plus a butch, rising shoulderline and wide wheelarches. At the front the shape is more familiar, with the same dramatic grille design and fang-like LED lights as the 308 hatchback. Wheel sizes reach 20 inches on top-spec models.
It'll certainly stand out in a sea of more conventional SUVs and saloons. Peugeot reckons it will appeal most to 'active couples' looking to move away from mass-market hatchbacks into a more upmarket, designer model - without sacrificing the practicality they'll need if they have children.
The 408 sits on the third generation of the EMP2 platform, shared among the Stellantis brands. Its external dimensions make it 4690mm long, 1859mm wide and 1480mm tall. that makes it a full 243mm longer than a Peugeot 3008, while being 33mm wider yet 140mm lower to the ground.
The Citroen C5 X is larger still, however, with a similar width and height but a length of 4805mm. The Peugeot, then, is more about design than practicality.
That doesn't mean it'll be cramped, though, according to Peugeot. Rear seat accommodation is described as "spacious", while the 536-litre boot is certainly big enough to compete with most family SUVs.
Inside the Peugeot 408 gets the latest version of the brand's driver-focused i-Cockpit dashboard layout, with an emphasis on quality materials and connectivity according to the brand. The layout looks similar to the new 308, with Allure trim and above featuring a 10-inch touchscreen flanked by 'i-toggle' customisable shortcut buttons.
There's also a digital instrument display, with 3D technology on GT trim. Of course, the 408 gets a suite of new driver assist functions and safety features from nine radars and six cameras mounted around the car.
Sitting at the bottom of the Peugeot 408 range is the familiar 1.2-litre PureTech 130 petrol engine, found in a variety of Stellantis models. With a kerbweight of 1396kg, this is the lightest model available, and it's pared solely with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Two plug-in hybrid Peugeot 408s will be offered, too, much like the 308 below it. There's an entry-level model with 180PS, and a pricier 225PS version that'll likely be offered in top trims only. Peugeot claims both variants are capable of an electric range of 40 miles, dropping slightly to 39 miles on the First Edition.
Although we don't yet have efficiency or range figures yet, we already know that hybrids' CO2 emissions are 26g/km for the Hybrid 180 and 28g/km for the 225, which should translate to extremely competitive figures.
That's not all, however. Peugeot has confirmed that an all-electric 408 will be offered in due course. It probably won't arrive for several months after the petrol and hybrid versions, but expect a range of about 250 miles or more.
If you like the idea of the Peugeot 408 but can't wait until 2023 for one to land on your driveway, why not have a look at the Citroen C5 X? It shares the same engines, the same platform and technology and similar styling as the 408, but with a more practicality-focused design. We really like the C5 X - it's as quirky and different as a flagship Citroen should be, but it has plenty of substance including loads of space, a very comfortable and refined right and the best technology that modern Citroens have ever fielded. It's well worth a look.
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Peugeot has yet to release official pricing for the Peugeot 408, but we would expect it to start from under £30,000 when it goes on sale later this year.
It will be eventually. Peugeot will first launch the 408 with a petrol engine and two plug-in hybrids. But during 2023 a fully electric model will launch.
Not really. It might have pumped up looked an a slightly raised ride height, but Peugeot is marketing the 408 as an alternative to traditional large hatchbacks and saloons, with a coupe-like body.