Peugeot 508 Video Reviews

Believe it or not, you don't actually have to buy an SUV if you have a family. Companies like Peugeot offer new versions of a very old idea - the station wagon - and the 508 Sportswagon certainly beats most high-riding trucks when it comes to looks. But is it any good for a family in the real world?

The new-generation Peugeot 508 model is both dramatically new and different in its positioning, with styling that helps it stand out from the crowd.

Andrew Chesterton road tests and reviews the Peugeot 508 Allure Touring with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Peugeot’s 508 sedan and wagon replaced the 407 last year with the aim of becoming a strong contender in the Aussie large car market. Since the 508 landed here mid-2011 it has slowly established ground, accounting for 828 of the 3,483 Peugeot sales so far this year. However, its rivals the Volkswagen Passat with 3,432 sales and Ford Mondeo with 3,554 sales are clear front runners. The 508 GT version tested here was a late arrival to the line-up, rolling into Peugeot showrooms in April this year, so has had a shorter time to prove itself. VALUEPriced from $55,990, standard features include an eight-speaker stereo, Bluetooth connectivity, 12V auxiliary sockets, tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, leather seats, glass sunroof, driving lamps and fog lamps. And the warranty is a standard 3 years with 100,000km roadside assist.There are several optional extras that can raise the price by nearly $8,000 including 19-inch alloy wheels for $500, power tailgate for $1000, Nappa leather seats with memory settings for $2500 and premium pearl white paint for $1300.You can also add GPS satellite navigation for $1500 or GPS satellite navigation plus JBL HiFi for $2300. But the navigation system is the old school ‘scroll to each letter and number’ rather than a more user-friendly touch screen. However, once your destination is locked in the directions are clear and it works efficiently, and it shows you the closest petrol stations and other handy landmarks nearby.TECHNOLOGYThe 508 gets a 2.2-litre 4-cylinder engine with 150kW of power and 450Nm of torque. And the GT version comes with double wishbone suspension and a 0-100km/h time of 8.4 seconds, more than a second quicker than the Touring Allure.It’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission (no manual variant is available) and the only fuel type available is diesel, with an official combined fuel economy of 5.9L/100km. However we tested the wagon on a mix of city streets, major highways and quiet country roads and returned an average of 7.4L/100km - nearly 20 per cent higher.DESIGNThe 508 GT Touring has a classic wagon silhouette, with a large bonnet and extended rear. The wide grille is flanked by two slanting headlights and there is chrome detailing on the windows and door handles – overall the 508 is attractive. A nice touch is the electronic side mirrors that open and close when you unlock or lock the 508. On the inside there’s a leather steering wheel, with embellished stitching and Peugeot’s signature black piano lacquered detailing. What you’ll really notice is the abundance of features. The dashboard and shift knob are surrounded by buttons that deliver surprises to the driver. Our favourite has to be the “massaging” driver’s seat feature that adds to the luxury feel.There are sports styled speedometers, and several information displays including fuel consumption, km to empty and suburb location. There’s also an impressive panoramic sunroof that reaches all the way to the rear of the wagon, with the rear and back windows tinted to cut UV and provide privacy. The power tailgate makes loading the boot easy, just press the button and toss all your gear in there.As with all things there are a few negatives. The inside lacks places for your bits and pieces, as there’s only a very small central compartment and two cup holders. So you’ll struggle to find a place for a large water bottle or any other personal items that you want within arm’s reach.SAFETYThe 508 has a 5 star ANCAP crash rating with safety features that include six airbags, ABS and electronic brake force distribution, central locking, fog lamps at the front and rear, Bi-Xenon headlamps, park assist and tyre pressure sensors.DRIVINGWhile the GT designation might raise your hopes of it being a hot version, it’s not a sports performance wagon. In the 508’s case the GT stands for Grand Tourer and spells out an effortless and comfortable driving experience.The noise of the diesel engine only slightly enters the cabin, and the sound itself is pleasing - Peugeot knows its stuff when it comes to diesel engines. The 508 Touring takes off quickly and stops just as well, with refined and progressive brake feel.The six-speed automatic transmission is well mated to the 2.2-litre engine, with plenty of power on climbs and the suspension handles rough surfaces well. While the overall drive experience is more than adequate, the steering control lets it down with the electronic system giving a numb feeling around sharper corners.The large side mirrors assist when reversing and there are also front sensors - although you might wish there weren’t after a little while with their sensitive reactions beeping loudly near anything they see as an obstruction - we quickly found the noise distracting. And as with many other wagons the turning circle for the 4813mm body is a bit wide at 12.2 metres.VERDICTWhile it’s not the cheapest wagon out there, those looking for that extra something special will not be disappointed: classic wagon body, prestige features and a comfortable drive.

Peugeot has more recently been best known for its smaller cars - 207, 308 et al - with some SUVs as an aside, but the larger end of the portfolio has long been underdone. The 407 soldiered on, the 607 fell well short of expectations and now finally the 508 is here. Bigger and to many eyes not as pretty as the 407, it's striking and has presence, but the feline grace of some of its forebears seems lacking.VALUEWe're not shopping in the bargain basement at $52,990 but the biggest passenger Pug has no shortage of gear - there's quad-zone filtered climate control, sunblinds for the rear and rear-side windows, parking sensors front and rear, hill-start assist, an electric parking brake, reach and rake adjustable steering, an alarm, folding and heated exterior rearvision mirrors, and an auto-dipping rear view mirror.The GT also gets the little head up display screen with colour output, keyless entry and go, cruise control with speed limiter function, satellite navigation, a top-quality eight-speaker sound system with Bluetooth and USB connectivity, controlled via the slightly busy leather-wrapped steering wheel, 18in alloy wheels, but it's not all standard. Leather seats with position memory is an extra $2500, or there are two satnav options - nav and the head-up display alone are $1500, or those two features with the sound system upgrade add up to $2300.TECHNOLOGYTop of the list is the high-pressure common-rail direct injection turbodiesel engine, which shrinks to 2.2 from the outgoing 2.7 litre V6, but gains 10Nm and improves fuel consumption by 33 per cent - 8.4 down to 5.7 litres per 100km. Peugeot says the use of lightweight and low-friction engine and turbo components - including a titanium turbocharger impeller and piezo injectors - has helped reduce fuel use.The 508 GT car also has a double-wishbone front-end (instead of the MacPherson strut for the rest of the range) which the company claims improves the steering and overall dynamics.DESIGNThis is a big car - 92mm longer in the wheelbase than its predecessor - and for some it's a like and others are more in the "yikes" camp when it comes to the looks. Certainly striking, the 508 sedan has a sculpted shoulder line that extends through the snout, which carries the new-look family resemblance. The rear is squared-off and almost abrupt by comparison, with tail lights in LED form to stand out.It's cabin is more conventional, with more than enough room for four adults - at 190-odd cm I was able to sit behind my own driving position, which is a good indication of enough head and leg room. Seating is comfortable, if not overly-endowed with lateral support - but there are heaters for the front pews and the driver gets a massage, so there's compensation. The dashboard, centre stack and steering wheel are all a little busier than is ideal, due the long list of features - although no standard satnav is a bit cheeky in a car over fifty-thousand.SAFETYThe 508 has a European New Car Assessment Program rating of five stars, with six airbags and stability control, emergency brake assist and brakeforce distribution as well as pretensioning and load-limiting front seatbelts and load-limiting outer rear seatbelts (all seatbelts are lap-sash). The 508 has the clever electric rear child-safety lock (for the doors and windows) allowing parental control with one touch.Faster reacting LED tail-lights, automatic adaptive bi-xenon headlights and rain-sensing wipers, front and rear fog lights, tyre pressure sensors and daytime running lights.DRIVEGetting to grips with the new Pug, the first challenge is negotiating a busy centre stack - it's got plenty of gear, but the top-spec GT's myriad buttons and menus aren't always the easiest to decipher. It's French. Mon Dieu.The GT-only front end does give it a willing nose for corners and the body is well-controlled, but anyone looking for more compliant ride quality will have to forgo the sportier front-end, as well as losing out on the frugal diesel, which claims a combined figure of 5.7 l/100km and gets single-digit averages in the real world. You're not left in any doubt about fuel requirements but it's not harsh and at cruising speeds it is far less audible, the payoff coming from in-gear acceleration on part-throttle - 450Nm is a solid chunk from a little powerplant.The six-speed auto works well enough with the engine, although the gated shift is not as easy to use as some. The GT's driver's seat has power-adjustment, heating and a massager, so there's no need to stress in the traffic - cool breeze from the quad-zone climate control, warmer loosening up the back and who cares about being late for work? Rear headroom isn't cavernous but there's enough lower-limb space for my 190-odd cm frame to sit behind a similarly sized driver.The sound system has USB and Bluetooth connectivity, although when running an iPhone's music player (on a USB cable or via Bluetooth) the delay from dash button to track change often meant two or three were skipped. The telephone side suffered none of these issues and easy enough to use through the car's infotainment system. The satnav is clear and relatively easy to use, as was the centre trip computer display - unlike many cars with such screens, the Pug had a speed readout, which was a good back-up to the head-up display screen that flips into place on start-up.The boot (which has no button on the bootlid that I could find) is not that deep but useful at 497 litres - if there was a full-size spare it would be too shallow, so the 508 makes do with a space-saver. Something the bulk of French cars are doing well is the rear child locks, a simple button that does door locks and windows, leaving the driver in control - too many window lock buttons remove all control and don't leave the driver's switches in play.VERDICTSome will love the looks, others will just be pleased to have an alternative to the Germans who dominate the compact prestige market, but the Gallic lion finally has something to roar about again. Well-equipped but not as engaging as perhaps it could have been, it's a welcome and positive step back into the market for Peugeot - with a model that is worthy of genuine consideration.RATING