After a rather short teasing campaign, Peugeot has unveiled the new 408, a compact crossover coupe that guns for the likes of the Renault Arkana, as well as other C-segment cars, such as the Volkswagen Golf, Renault Megane, Skoda Octavia, and Ford Focus.
Slotting between the 308 hatchback and 508 sedan in the French company’s range, it measures 4.69 meters (184.6 in) long from bumper to bumper, is 1.48 meters (58.3 in) tall, 1,859 meters (73.2 in) wide with the side mirrors folded in, and has a 2,787-meter (109.7-in) long wheelbase. The 536-liter (18.9-cu-ft) cargo volume can be extended to 1,611 liters (56.9 cu-ft) by folding down the rear seats.
Sharing a lot of things with its Citroen cousin, the C5 X, the 2023 408 features a distinctive styling, with the brand’s grille flanked by a pair of slim LED headlights. The front bumper has an aggressive design, the hood and wheel arches are muscular, the roofline is arched behind the B pillars, it has a raised shoulder line, a big diffuser at the back, and LED taillights. The wheels measure from 17 to 20 inches, depending on the selected version.
Inside, it has a two-layer dashboard panel, with a raised part behind the steering wheel that incorporates the digital instrument cluster, in plain Peugeot fashion. In the middle, it has a 10-inch infotainment system, right below the central air vents, and above another display for the HVAC system. The center console has a raised design and incorporates a few physical buttons, the drive mode selector, gear shifter, and a cubby toward the passenger side.
Peugeot’s all-new 408 is nicely equipped in the higher specifications, which get Nappa leather upholstery, front seats with massaging function, electric adjustment, and memory, panoramic roof, electric tailgate, ambient lighting, heated windscreen, premium audio, wireless charging pad, smartphone integration, keyless entry and go, heated steering wheel, and a selection of driver assistance gear.
Photo: Peugeot
Six cameras and nine radars work together to assist the person holding the wheel, and include the adaptive cruise control with stop and go, active lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, night vision, long-range blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, driver attention alert, extended traffic sign recognition, 360-degree camera system, and others.
At first, the automaker will be offering the new 408 with two plug-in hybrid powertrains and a gasoline unit. The Hybrid 180 e-EAT8 combines the 150 ps (148 hp / 110 kW) PureTech gas mill with an 81 kW (110 ps / 109 hp) electric motor, for a combined output of 180 ps (hp / kW). The Hybrid 225 e-EAT8 uses a 180 ps (177 hp / 132 kW) PureTech lump and the same motor, and has a total of 225 ps (222 hp / 165 kW).
Both feature an eight-speed automatic transmission and a 12.4-kWh lithium-ion battery that can be charged in 7.5 hours at a domestic socket, and in 1 hour and 55 minutes at a 7.4 kW wall box. The 1.2-liter three-pot comes with the same gearbox and develops 130 ps (128 hp / 96 kW). And that’s not all, because Peugeot says that a battery-electric variant of the 408 will follow.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but in all likelihood, the 408 will slot between the 308 and 508 in this category, too, not only in size. The car manufacturer claims that it will start arriving at dealers early next year and that it will be sold in global markets. Europe will get it first, with production taking place at the Mulhouse facility in France, and then it will launch in China, where it will be put together at the Chengdu factory for the local market.
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. Full profile
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