Peugeot 508 PSE: A Delightful Curio of Frantic Performance and Striking Looks
Peugeot has always been known for its unique designs and characterful cars, and the Peugeot 508 PSE is no exception. This plug-in hybrid executive car is a delightful curio of frantic performance, striking looks, and well-judged everyday manners. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Peugeot 508 PSE and see what makes it stand out from the crowd.
Design and Styling
The Peugeot 508 PSE is a facelift of the previous model, with no changes to the mechanicals. However, the new styling updates are enough to make it stand out. The whole fascia is new, with ‘three claw’ LED running lights, slimmer headlights, and a gloss black grille being chief among the changes. The contrast grille may have lost a touch of class, but it still looks stunning. The SW estate body is even better, making it a head-turner on the road.
Performance
The Peugeot 508 PSE is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and dual electric motors, with the motor up front being integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox and the rear motor powering the back axle via reduction gearing. This setup delivers 355bhp and a 0-62mph time of 5.2sec, making it faster than any of the big VW executive PHEVs, be it Passat or Arteon. It’s even faster than the BMW 330e xDrive Touring. The power delivery in the 508 PSE is an endearing kind of lunacy; a restrained rabidness that’s entirely unique from any other PHEV and, frankly, it’s rather brilliant.
Infotainment System
The most significant news with this refresh is actually inside the 508, where the dated infotainment system has been replaced with a new 10in touchscreen, complete with new menu layout and high-def graphics. The new i-Connect Advanced software brings a more responsive screen, better graphics, and a much more logical menu layout with a homepage containing up to 10 configurable shortcuts. It really is a huge improvement over the dated system in the pre-facelift 508, and you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too.
Interior and Space
The interior of the Peugeot 508 PSE looks great, complete with flashes of ‘Kryptonite’ stitching, it’s modern and classy, albeit a way short of the obvious German rivals for perceived quality. There’s plenty of space in the 508 PSE SW to serve as parental taxi, too, including 530 litres of boot space despite the hybrid powertrain. That’s more than the 330e Touring, and the 508 also matches the BMW’s CO2 figures and WLTP pure electric range of 34 miles.
Price and Value
The Peugeot 508 PSE is a characterful and fun car, but it remains frustratingly difficult to justify. The saloon costs nearly £54k, and the SW over £55k, meaning that a BMW 330e xDrive M Sport Touring is more than £4000 cheaper than this 508 PSE SW, even though it has better handling, better interior materials, better infotainment, and more. Peugeot has long been moving itself more upmarket, but it may have overestimated itself with this one.
Conclusion
The Peugeot 508 PSE is an underdog, and we all love one of those. It’s theatrical, slightly bonkers, good-looking, and anything but boring. If you are theatrical, a bit bonkers, flush with cash, and looking for a saloon or estate that’s practical yet anything but boring, then go for it. You’ll love driving it, you’ll love looking at it, you’ll love living with it, and more than anything, you’ll love the attention and the very fact that it isn’t ‘just’ another 3 Series. However, if you’re looking for a more sensible option, there are plenty of better and cheaper alternatives out there.
