Review: All-new Peugeot 408 is bidding to tempt you out of that bland Crossover

Published on 22 February, 2023

Overview

One thing you could never accuse Peugeot of — not thinking outside the box.

Call it a sixth sense if you like, but the design team in Mulhouse have a brilliant knack of twigging when a trend is beginning to change course.

They did it with the 508 — re-inventing the mighty saloon — just when all of its rivals were ditching theirs and concentrating on the phenomenon that is the SUV.

Opting for an eclectic mix of coupe, fastback and a huge dollop of sportiness, they struck gold and the rest is history.

That same philosphy seems to be at play with the all-new 408, which begs the question: is it a hatchback, an estate, a coupe or an SUV?

Well according to the design boffins at Peugeot — its all of the above and more.

Positioned in the C-Segment, the new offering will sit betweek the 308 estate and the 3008 Crossover.

It caters for those who want the versatility of a load lugger, the desirability of a coupish sportback and the rugged ability of an offroader.

Whether it delivers on all three remains to be seen, but what’s not in question is the spectacular design of this Gallic masterpiece.

Dressed in the most decadent Obsession blue paint, complete with colour coded grille and sporting the new black and chrome Lion’s head logo, the new Pug is unmistakable with its signature fang LED headlights and 408 moniker emblazoned on the nose.

Sharp lines flow from the upper bonnet through the doors to the chiselled rear end — emphasising the longer length and of course its coupe sillohoutte. Thick rubber cladding running from the front apron around the wheel arches to the bulging diffuser at the rear coupled with garagntuan 21-inch rims gives it a Tonka Toy ruggedness and a go anywhere, do anything feel.

Built on the EMP2 platform and measuring 4.69m in length the new 408 has an actual wheelbase of 2.79m, meaning oceans of space onboard, especially in the second row, with 188mm of legroom.

The boot is also generously sized, with a volume of 536 litres, which can be increased to 1.611 litres once the rear seats are folded down.

The cabin is top notch and comes equipped with the unrivalled Peugeot iCockpit, now with 3-D graphics dancing out from the 10-inch digital cluster.

Complementing that is a second 10-inch touchscreen which is home to the infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while a bank if traditional toggle switches feature beneath for climate control, sat nav etc.

Two plug-in hybrid engines are available to Irish customers, with both powered by a 1.6 litre petrol unit twinned with an electric motor to generate between 180-225bhp.

An entry level 1.2-litre three cylinder petrol is also available with 130bhp while an full EV is in the pipeline for next year.

We had the pleasure of driving the meatier PHEV in GT spec (there’s also Allure and Allure Pack) on a jaunt to Cashel in Co Tipperary.

The trek consisted of mainly motorway driving which hybrids absolutely hate, but we were pleasantly surprised at how refined and composed the 408 was.

Even on the massive 20 inch alloys, this hulking machine — it weighs in at almost two tonnes — cruised effortlessly, and returned remarkable efficiency.

Like all PHEVs you can take the EV-only range of 60kms with a pinch of salt (reduce by 30pc) but we did manage to get in excess of 50mpg (5.5litres/100kms) and the car was supremely comfy.

Full test coming soon.

Prices for the Peugeot 408 start at €39,995.

ORA sets the Cat among EV pigeons

THE EV market just got a whole lot funkier with the arrival of ORA’s Funky Cat.

The Chinese marque from parent company Great Wall Motors, has pulled the dust covers off their family four-door hatchback, which arrives in Ireland in two trims – the 300 PRO and the 400 PRO+.

As the names suggest, the entry level car has a claimed range of 310km and the latter over 402km, thanks to a 48kWh battery.
That unit is hooked up to a powerful motor that generates 171bhp, which will see it sprint from 0-100km in 8.2 seconds.

Sitting at 4.3 metres long, the Funky Cat is slightly shorter than Volkswagen’s ID4 and MG4, but boasts a decent sized boot –swallowing 228 litres of luggage.

The interior is stunning, especially in the claret and cream combo, giving a real hipster feel to the cabin. The cockpit features a slick two screen set-up, which is home to the latest software including facial recognition.

That means the car will recognise the main driver and adjust the seat, steering and pair your phone automatically.

Charge-wise, the Funky Cat (below) is capable of taking a 64kW feed, which means you can juice up from 15-80pc in 42 minutes on a supercharger.

The car will be available in four colour schemes from Linders Motor Group on the Naas Road, Dublin. Both models are available to order now with prices starting at €31,995 inclusive of SEAI grant and VRT relief.

MDL partner with BYD for Irish dealerships

ANOTHER Chinese brand, Build Your Dreams (BYD), has announced it is coming here – partnering with Motor Distributors Limited (MDL) to lead the charge in Ireland.

BYD is set to unveil a range of electric cars and light commercial vehicles ahead of its arrival later this year, beginning with the ATTO 3 C-Segment SUV.

The Hyundai Kona-sized crossover has a range of up to 420km and a 0-100kph of 7.3 seconds. A new lightweight cobalt-free battery generates up to 201bhp and can achieve 80pc charge in 29 minutes from a 150kWh point.

The partnership will lead to the creation of an estimated 150 additional jobs, bringing total employment within MDL to 450.

These will include sales, technical and customer support roles. Recruitment will begin shortly. MDL is also planning to establish a dealer network throughout Ireland in the coming months.