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2023 Peugeot 408 Crossover Reveals Its Fake Colors Ahead of June 22 Unveiling

Peugeot managed to keep the 408 a secret long enough. In fact, the first time we laid eyes on a prototype was back in March this year. Two months later, they dropped an official teaser pic, accompanied by some information that revealed its name (408X in China).
2023 Peugeot 408 8 photos
Photo: Peugeot
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Fast forward to present day, and we also know when it will premiere. According to the French company, the new compact crossover coupe, which is referred to as being a “dynamic fastback saloon with an elevated body, large wheels, and feline stance,” will debut on June 22.

So, what else do we know about it? That prototypes have undergone extensive testing that kicked off a little over a year ago. In total, testers of the 408 have been driven for almost 1,100,000 km (~683,500 miles) in all kinds of conditions, from crossing fords, paved, and bumpy roads, to gravel, in heat and cold, and day and night. Peugeot says that each kilometer driven in these harsh conditions equals several dozen kilometers put on the odo by a normal user.

Our objective is excellence. We are not only working to test the core quality of the new Peugeot 408, but also its customer performance, i.e. any situation its users may encounter,” commented the 408 Project Director, Emmanuel Lafaury. “For every test, we exaggerate the constraints, on the road as well as in the laboratories, and on the test benches. We are extremely demanding with ourselves in order to achieve the excellence we are striving for. It is a real pleasure to work hard on this project, because in the team we are all in love with the new 408.

Besides being subjected to all kinds of tests on the road, the new 408 has had its credentials validated in the lab too. Here, Peugeot mentions the obvious wind tunnels, where the uncamouflaged cars were shaped, and a four-post bench. This one is said to “simulate the most extreme stresses to measure the car’s structural fatigue: it is impossible for a human being to stay behind the wheel, and endure the torture that this machine imposes on the vehicle.

Its shape and size will put the 2023 408 in the same zone as the Renault Arkana. In all likelihood, it is built around the EMP2 platform, shared with many vehicles made by Stellantis. We don’t know what powertrains it will use, though it is expected to pack several gasoline units, some of them (or maybe all) with mild-hybrid assistance. Plug-in hybrids could be part of the family too, and so could a zero-emission variant, since the construction is compatible with such assemblies.
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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
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After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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