Though a late arrival for the traditional Irish car-buying season, the 508 is yet another addition to the Peugeot renaissance, writes PADDY COMYN
THE MID-SIZE family segment is one of the most cutthroat in the car market. The choice at times is bewildering. In Ireland, we love the Toyota Avensis, the Volkswagen Passat and the Ford Mondeo and in truth, we haven’t really strayed too far form these over the years.
It has been left to the others to mop up what was left in terms of sales and there have been flashes of success from some of the French brands. Citroën’s C5 had a brief period of prosperity, as did Renault’s Laguna and Peugeot enjoyed strong periods of sales with their 406 and their 407.
The next in this line from Peugeot is coming to Ireland in April, a slightly unfortunate time to bring in a new car here, just at the tail end of what traditionally is the busy car-buying period. But with Ford set to bring in the Focus at just the same time, April could be a busy period in 2011.
Peugeot’s renaissance is in full swing and we have had appetisers in the form of the 3008, 5008 and RCZ, which have shown that the French firm has stepped up its approach to quality to a huge degree. These niche cars are good ways of ensuring that their more mainstream cars are fit for the fight. So we had an idea of what to expect with the new 508.
We knew that is would be handsome more than pretty, which the new car undoubtedly is, although the rear styling might mix opinions slightly.
It is quite a significant departure from the 407 it replaces from a design point of view. There is a Germanic look with a drizzle of French flair and that, you can be certain, isn’t an accident. At this level, going down the route of being flamboyant and quirky hasn’t worked. Buyers or company car choosers want solidity and the feeling that they are within a hair’s breath of the executive car segment.
So both will be pleased to know that the 508 has the feel of an executive offering, from the thud of the doors to the Audi-like quality of the interior fit and finish.
Our test cars did have a lot of buttons on the dashboard and on the steering wheel so there is a period of adjustment required and the number of these will no doubt depend on which spec level you opt for.
These cars are traditionally a place where its users spend a lot of time too, and in that regard there has been no intent to make this a sporty car. This is geared up for comfort but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be competent. It is refined too. It is very quiet in the cabin and wind noise is at a minimum, even at motorway speeds.
The decision to give the 508 standard hydraulic power steering rather than an electronically-assisted one, has meant that there is a proper steering feel in the new car and it returns to a time where the Peugeot in this class was always one of the better driver’s cars. The 112bhp version certainly doesn’t feel fast, with 0-100km/h taking a reasonably ponderous 11.3 seconds, but it is only 1.5 seconds slower to this speed than the 140bhp 2.0-litre HDi. Hardly a massive difference.
The engine line-up for Ireland is as you might expect, an entirely diesel-powered one, with four variations of HDi units. The main seller will be the aforementioned 112bhp 1.6 HDi, which is the latest Euro 5-compliant unit, as seen in the 3008. It is also offered with Start/Stop technology and an electronically-controlled Ecomatique transmission in the e-HDi version which has band A emissions, although this comes at a €1,600 premium over the standard version.
Five years ago we would have been unlikely to have seen the arrival of the 2.0-litre 140bhp and 2.0-litre 163bhp diesels, but the fact that these are now band B and C cars respectively means they are viable choices. You can have the 2.0-litre HDi 140bhp Active for €29,100, which is excellent value. This is over a grand cheaper than a VW Passat with the same power and €515 less than a Ford Mondeo with 140bhp.
The car will be available as a saloon and SW estate model from launch, with three trim levels offered: Access, Active and Allure. Standard equipment will include ESP, ASR, hill assist, driver, passenger and curtain airbags, air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, a full size spare wheel and front fog lamps.
One would imagine that despite everything, it is the nature of our registration system rather than the merits of the car which will mean that the 508 will have lost a lot of the momentum of 2011, especially given the strong starts for the Toyota Avensis, Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat, but there is no doubting that this is yet another significantly better Peugeot.
Factfile
Engine112hp at 3,600 rpm, torque 240Nm (254Nm with overboost) at 1,500 – 3,000 rpm
Performance0-100km/h 11.3 secs
Max speed190km/h
L/100km4.7 (60mpg)
Emissions124g/km
Motor taxband B
Annual road tax€156
On saleApril
Price€24,650