BMW X4 vs Peugeot 408

What's the difference?

Okay, so the BMW X4 xDrive30i is neither an ass nor an elbow, to be fair, it's more of a bulky shoulder muscle, or two.

I can't say I'll ever love the X4, the idea of it is a bit too weird for me, but I can't help admiring the way it looks and the way it drives.

It's a bit like a sedan on steroids - or an SUV on a diet, depending on your perspective - but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s fun to drive, comfortable and retains just enough coolness, and just enough practicality, to make it worthwhile.

The Peugeot 408 GT plug-in hybrid features tech that could be improved upon and like all plug-ins, you get the best economy if you regularly charge it and that’s not always realistic. It is a little expensive compared to its rivals but sports a killer design that looks fresh and the cabin is roomy with nice features.

So here's the thing. Obviously I have a personal beef with the existence of vehicles like this, but my eyes cannot deny the facts - the X4 looks fantastic. It's muscular, imposing and smooth all at once. Unlike the X6, a bigger and less visually successful attempt to play the same styling tricks with an X5, it doesn't have a ridiculous rear view that looks like it shoulders and buttocks have been fused (although it's hard to miss just how small the rear window is).

Even more impressively, there's no denying it looks better than the X3 that gave birth to it, so I can easily see why someone in a BMW showroom could be drawn to it. At least until they sit inside.

If the exterior style and eye-catching Sophisto Grey metallic paint don’t make an immediate impression then your eyes will surely widen at the interior, resplendent with bold Tacora Red seats, Aluminium Rhombicle trim finisher and the kind of sleek, classy styling that BMW excels in. 

Both the adjustable ambient lighting on the doors (we were partial to lilac) and door projectors that shot out what looked like robot wings onto the ground every time we hopped out of the X4 at night walked a fine line between futuristic cool and “parked out the front of a nightclub entrance” chintz, but over time the scales tipped more to the former. 

The big differentiator between the X4 and X3, of course, is the sloped coupé roof, a design feature that may make the X4 look a little cooler, but at the expense of cabin space, but more of that in a moment.

There’s quite a lot happening with the design because of the mash-up of body styles. The long sleek body has sedan vibes but it sits high enough to tag itself as an SUV and the rear has that classic coupe pinching.

It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I like it. It's bold and different, which feels like a bit of fresh air in this SUV-heavy market.

The lights also set this apart from its Peugeot stablemates and look more refined, too. You can still see the remnants of the original ‘claw’ design in the tail-lights if you look closely but it's the long vertical DRLs at the front that give the design real edge. They resemble the fangs of a snarling cat (just too cool).

The sophisticated sleekness is extended to the interior where you find a cabin that is flush with high-end materials and soft touch points.

The curved dashboard, high-end tech screens and the mix of Nappa leather upholstery and synthetic leather trims definitely cement its grade position. While not a fan of the green contrast stitching myself, it does create an interesting focal point.

For a car that is very much a mid-sized SUV on the outside, the interior can feel a bit too snug, like you’re driving a compact car that’s tried on a suit a few sizes too big (for reference, I’m 175cm tall - above-average height drivers may find the snugness soon turns to claustrophobia). 

While comfortable - it is BMW we’re talking about, after all - there’s not an overly abundant amount of headroom available, a feeling that becomes more pronounced should you shut the big moon roof.

My two children felt slightly too close to “you’re annoying me” distance from one another, which is to say this isn’t really the kind of car you should be getting if you plan on regularly ferrying about passengers in the rear who are bigger than a child. But I really don't think many people with kids would choose the X4 over the X3.

Boot space also takes a hit when compared to the X3 (550 litres versus 525-litres in the X4 - I was surprised the difference wasn't larger - although that expands to 1430-litres with the rear seats folded down. 

The boot opening is also mouth-shaped, which makes packing in wide-load items more of an issue.

Cupholders are plentiful - two in the front, two in the rear, and bottle holders in each door - and there’s a decent-sized storage cubby in between the front two seats. 

The sloped roof, and big fat A pillars, also result in the X4 being a bit more pinched at the rear, which is not especially great for visibility, with the vehicle’s blind spots taking some getting used to.

Both rows have ample leg- and headroom for my 168cm height. Even my father, who is 183cm tall, felt comfortable in both rows.

The seats are comfortable and offer enough padding to be enjoyable on a long trip. The heat and massage functions on the front seats make the cabin experience feel refined but the massage function sometimes stops when the heat function is also on.

Individual storage is good for the class with the front getting some centre console storage spots, including a phone shelf, as well as a dual-opening middle console, glovebox and two cupholders. There are also a small storage bin and drink bottle holder in each door.

In the rear, there are directional air vents, two USB-C ports, map pockets and a drink bottle holder in each door but you miss out on cup holders, an armrest and other items you might expect for this grade level, like heated outboard seats or climate control.

The other charging options are solid with the front row getting two USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad and a 12-volt socket. There is another 12-volt socket in the boot.

The 10-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great and you can customise your ‘buttons panel’ to the features you use most often, which is very clever. However, the system isn’t always responsive which gets very annoying - the seat functions in particular can be laggy.

The system does feature built-in satellite navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but the multimedia system is too glitchy to truly charm.

The boot features a tyre puncture repair kit, relatively level loading space and 471L of boot capacity, which has been fine for all of my errands this week. You also get a hands-free powered tailgate, which is always handy.

The 408 is being offered in one grade for the Australian market, the GT model, and it’s priced from $67,990 before on road costs, making it more expensive than its rivals.

The closest rival, the Cupra Formentor VZe PHEV sits at $64,990 MSRP and the Citroen C5 X PHEV slides in as the most affordable at $57,670 MSRP.

However, only being offered in one grade does have its benefits because the GT is highly specified and most people will be satisfied with the long features list.

In terms of luxuries, there is a heated steering wheel, powered front seats with heat and massage functions, with Nappa leather upholstery and synthetic leather trims throughout.

The technology looks gorgeous with a 10-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a 10-inch digital instrument cluster headlining the dashboard. It's rounded out by the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in satellite navigation, four USB-C ports, two 12-volt sockets and a wireless charging pad.

The key practical features include a powered tailgate, dual-zone air-conditioning, push-button start, keyless entry and the front driver's seat features a two-position memory function.

You can option a panoramic sunroof for an extra $2000, if you want it.

The 408 only comes in five colours, with the Obsession Blue on our test model being the only included colour. The rest are priced at $690 but the Elixir Red jumps up to $1050.

Now, prepare to be confused. In the past, the 3.0 in the xDrive3.0i nomenclature might have led you to believe you'd bought a BMW with a 3.0-litre straight six engine. But in this case, you have not, the 3.0 just means you have a more exciting version of the 2.0; a TwinPower turbo 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine, making 179kW and 353Nm that the xDrive system delivers to all four wheels. 

The claimed zero to 100km/h time of 4.9 seconds feels completely realistic as this engine has plenty of poke. Put it in the Sport setting and you'll get some serious shove. Indeed, the switch between Comfort and Sport is very noticeable and changes the character of the car entirely.

The transmission is an eight-speed conventional torque converter automatic gearbox that’s both smooth and responsive. 

The 408 GT is a front-wheel drive that has an eight-speed auto transmission and is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and an 81kW electric motor, which produce combined outputs of 165kW/360Nm. It can do a 0-100km/h sprint in 7.8 seconds. 

The switch between the electric and petrol components isn’t always seamless and you can feel some shudders as it flips between them at lower speeds but the power feels adequate for everyday driving.

The X4’s 65-litre tank needs to be 95-octane at a minimum, and BMW’s claimed combined fuel consumption is 7.9 litres per 100km. The temptation to use its rorty little engine is going to push you higher, though - you chose the one with the 3.0 badge on it after all - and we averaged 10.9 litres per 100km in our week together, which was mainly city driving, to be fair. 

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 1.5L/100km but that’s if you were recharging the car every time the electric range dropped out.

My real-world consumption sat at 5.5L after a mix of open-road and urban driving. I only charge it every other day as that’s realistic for my family life but like all plug-ins - you will get the best efficiency if you charge it regularly.

The 408 GT has a Type 2 charging port and a small 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery that can accept up to 3.7kW of power. You get up to 60km of pure electric driving range (but I only saw a top of 38km available) and on a domestic socket, you can go from zero to 100 per cent in around six hours.

On a 7kW or 11kW AC power charger, that drops to three and a half hours. So, it’s a tad slow to charge but worth it if you can leave your car on charge overnight.

The impressive trick that BMW continually pulls off with its SUVs is giving them the same sensual, muscular steering as its sedans, and an impressively similar ride and handling balance.

The steering is the highlight here, but it's also noticeable how planted to the road it feels.

The X4 speaks to its looks, in fact, by feeling sportier and more alive to drive than you'd expect an X3 to be.  

This is less an SUV for soccer mums and dads, and more a bastard love-child that’s into loud leather and bright neon - a CEO who dressed punk rock-lite on weekends, if you will. 

If those weekends are bereft of child taxiing and loading up the boot with several tons of kid stuff, then you’ll have a blast in the X4. 

The 408 GT has more than enough power to be a comfortable open-roader. You can keep your speed consistent on hills and it has enough gumption to cross traffic quickly in an urban environment.

Steering is responsive and the car is easy to manoeuvre in close quarters but the lane-keeping aid does severe corrections, so have your wits about you when you’re on the go because it can be a fright when the wheel starts fighting you.

With the ride comfort, there can be vibrations through the seats and steering wheel depending on the road surface and you’ll know about it when you hit a bump. It’s okay enough to not be classed as rough but it’s not as refined as you'd hope.

Despite the narrow rear window, the visibility is actually very good and it’s easy enough to park but the 180-degree camera system needs work.

You'll end up using the straight reversing camera because you need to ‘drive’ over the space for an image to pop up for the '180-degree' view and by the time it does, you’ve parked anyway!

The 408 is so new that it doesn’t have an ANCAP safety rating but it has a long list of safety features that it might not worry you.

That list includes all of the biggies like rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning and AEB.

It also includes a driver attention alert, dusk-sensing auto lights, tyre pressure monitoring, lane departure and keeping aids, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning and adaptive cruise control.

Parking is sorted with the 180-degree view camera system and front and rear parking sensors.

The 408 only features six airbags, which is low, and is missing out on the newer front centre airbag and even a drivers knee airbag.

For any families out there, the rear features ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points. Two seats will fit best, though.

Despite all the brouhaha about other car manufacturers offering more generous warranty periods - seven years for Kia, for example - BMW has not shifted its stance, still offering its standard three-year unlimited-kilometre warranty. Frankly, it's just not good enough.

BMW also offer a Service Inclusive package for $2010 that covers owners for five years, or 80,000km.

The 408 comes with a usual warranty term of five-years/unlimited km and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty.

You can pre-purchase three, four, or five-years worth of services, which all work out to be cheaper than the pay-as-you-go option. It costs $1200 (three-years), $1700 (four-years), and $2000 for the five-year plan.

On the five-year plan, services average $400, which is reasonable for the class. Servicing intervals are also good at every 12 months/15,000km, whichever occurs first.