Peugeot’s low-volume 508 mid-sizer is getting a new plug-in hybrid flagship.
The 2022 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback Plug-In Hybrid is priced at $76,990 before on-road costs, putting it $3000 below the new 3008 GT Sport Plug-In Hybrid AWD.
The launch of the two new plug-in hybrids has been moved to the first quarter of 2022 to ensure there’s an “appropriate level of supply to meet anticipated customer demand”.
However, Peugeot is making the new models available for test drives at select dealerships around Australia. The company is inviting customers to contact dealerships to arrange a drive.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain won’t be available with the wagon body style, and will instead be available only with the five-door fastback.
It’s priced at almost $20,000 more than the standard 508 GT Fastback but features an identical power figure.
It mates a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder with 133kW of power to an 81kW electric motor and an 11.8kWh battery, for a total system output of 165kW.
Power is sent to the front wheels via a new eight-speed automatic transmission; the 3008 PHEV, in contrast, is all-wheel drive.
The 508 PHEV has a pure electric driving range of 55km under the stricter WLTP standard, and can travel at up to 135km/h without switching on the petrol engine.
Claimed fuel use is 2.1L/100km on the combined cycle.
Overseas model shown
Peugeot Citroen Australia says it’ll release full specifications closer to the car’s launch, however it has confirmed the following equipment will come standard:
- 12.3-inch ‘i-Cockpit’ digital instrument cluster
- 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- 10-speaker Focal sound system
- 18-inch two-tone ‘diamond-cut’ alloy wheels
- Nappa leather upholstery
Peugeot says luggage capacity is unchanged compared to the petrol-only models despite the large battery pack, with 487L of space in European-spec models.
There’s little the 508 PHEV will compete directly with. No mainstream mid-sizer offers a plug-in powertrain here, while there are few PHEV options in the luxury mid-size segment either.
The 508 does undercut the plug-in hybrid BMW 330e, which is priced at $86,900 before on-roads.
The current 508 range consists of two variants: the GT fastback and the GT wagon, priced at $57,490 and $59,490 before on-roads, respectively.
Standard equipment on these models includes the aforementioned features of the PHEV, as well as:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Lane-keep assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Keyless entry and start
- Semi-autonomous parking assist
- Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Wireless phone charging
- LED headlights
- Heated and massaging front seats
The ‘regular’ GT also features 19-inch alloy wheels instead of the PHEV’s 18-inch wheels.
It competes in the contracting mid-sized passenger car segment, though even still it’s one of the lower-volume players.
To the end of September 2021, Peugeot has sold 89 508s. That puts it above the Honda Accord (59), but behind the likes of the Hyundai Sonata N Line (386), Volkswagen Passat (605) and discontinued Subaru Liberty (265).
Even compared with pricier European offerings, it’s still a comparatively lower-volume model. In the same period, Volvo has sold 107 S60s, while Jaguar has shifted 122 XEs.
MORE: Everything Peugeot 508
