Brains and beauty are a rare combination, and in the auto world is even rarer. Peugeot 408 GT PHEV is the only 408 model to land on our shores, slipping into the pared down lineup between the 308 and 508.
Peugeot’s sluggish “07” period has given way to a new era of deliciously detailed masterpieces. Yet, slow sales indicate the buyers who lost interest during the 207/307/407/607 years aren’t coming back.
408 GT PHEV couples a 1.6L turbo 4, an electric motor powered by a small 12.4kWh battery, and an 8-speed automic to power the front wheels. 165kw/360Nm pushes 408 to 100kph in a briskly-leisured 7.8 seconds. While that may not peel your face off, it is more than enough to get up to highway speed to get where you’re going in a stylishl-yet- bougee kind of way.
Matrix LED headlights are framed by dramatic DTRL/indicator lamps that slash across the bumper, yet the front is surprisingly blunt for the crossover-fastback-saloon. It sits a mere 198mm off the ground and has the faintest whiff of SUV-coupé about it. There more than a passing resemblance to sister brand’s CX2500 in its graceful roofline. There is a gentle arc over the passenger’s heads terminating at the lip of the electric hatch.
The word du jour is chic.
ABOVE: 2024 Peugeot 408 GT PHEV Review Best Peugeot Ever
The Cabin
The spectacular interior gently wraps travelers in understated luxury.
Rear-seaters get a couple of USB outlets, and vents sans temperature controls. There is plenty of legroom for a 6-footer, but headroom doesn’t allow for a bouffant coiffeur.
Nappa leather is festooned about the place with gay abandon, and the front seats are lavished with both heating and massage functions. The dash’s gentle curves terminate on the front doors, outlined by lines of glowing light.
Mood lighting is ever so subtle, changing with the drive mode selection.
The driver gets a natty 3D LCD instrument cluster, and a landscape touch screen for the infotainment system. Although the system is customisable, driver personalization is limited. I’d like that to go further, like the Google OS in Polestar. The Peugeot system takes a moment to navigate for the first time and setting radio “favourites” is like rubbing your head and patting your tummy at the same time. Moreover, there are no direct-select buttons for favourites apart from those on the steering wheel. The driver can choose either the favourites or the full station menu. The smart cruise is trickily operated by 2 stabs at the “assist” button, also on the steering wheel.
A few hours in the saddle sorts out most foibles.
The console has a couple of cup holders, 12 12v outlet, and a cosy cubby with a further USB. CarPlay is wireless but without a Qi charger you might still want to plug in for longer trips. There are two spots for phones but neither fit an iPhone 15 Pro Max in an Otterbox case.
The speakers are adequate, but sound lacks definable mid tones, and the bass needs by-pass surgery. For 67 grand, I’d like a name-brand system with more finesse.
Download specifications HERE: Peugeot_MY24_408_PHEV_Brochure_Spec_Sheet
The Drive
Inchcape, Peugeot’s importer, has done itself a huge favour by only by bringing a single model to market. PHEVs have not been the success one might have hoped for so this removes and doubt, giving buyers only one box to tick.
Infuriatingly, most owners can’t be bothered plugging in, denying themselves the joy of EV’s silent driving experience. 60km of emission-free motoring can be had by 3.5 hours’ worth of 11kw power so the effort is well worthwhile. If you’re clever and light-footed, the petrol engine is rarely needed.
Longer trips will see the PHEV switch to normal hybrid operation after the battery is depleted, the beauty of aPHEV system. Although 408 has only a 40L petrol tank and 12.4kWh battery, the it can go as wherever a petrol station can be found.
Steering is fabulously light, again like the Citroen CX2500. Brakes are sharp, handling is forgiving, and ride has the generosity of a boozy long lunch.
408 GT is a genuine continent-crossing gent’s tourer contender for the man with an eye for couture motoring. 408 GT feels tailored for each driver with seats and steering that can be set exactly where feels comfortable.
While the cabin experience isn’t quite as silent as a $200k luxury limo, it is still beautifully Zen.
Driver aids, including lane centering, make long trips less stressful, and there is an abundance comfort that allows 408 for feel like a cosy club on wheels.
Peugeot has a knack of knitting brilliant handling onto a weft of Gallic gorgeousness. Sadly, to get the most out of it, you have to ride that old pony hard. Despite its impressive size, 408 GT still dances like a teen on tequila.
Conclusion:
French cars will always have quirks of defiance that eschew contemporary thinking, but that is also its strength. Peugeot is part of Stellantis which carries a certain je ne sais quoi. 408 GT PHEV is not trying to be something it isn’t, yet it manages to more than the sum of its parts.
408 GT is 15 grand cheaper than 508, but is the car I’d rather have. Peugeot no longer makes go-quick hot hatches, so go-nippily luxury hatches will have to suffice.
- Price: $67,990
- Engine: 1.6L petrol/electric hybrid
- Trans: 8-speed electronic automatic
- Econ: 1.3L/100k
- 0-100: 7.8 sec
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