The 408 just might be the best Peugeot yet, but it’s in good company. There have been a lot of fabulous Peugeots such as the inimitable 403 Cabriolet driven by Columbo, and the laudable 205 GTI stolen by every chav on the estate. While these obscure models joined 8-tracks and foxtails in the automotive dustbin, other models innovated and shone. The new 408 is one such cracker, but it doesn’t run on red wine and little bits of Edith Piaf, oh no…..
The full review will follow, so here is a taste of what is yet to come.
The looks are to die for, sitting as it does; a long, leggy, high-riding gentlemen’s fastback on 20” wheels. Surely the Monolithe diamond cut alloys were fashioned from the same exotic elements as Klingon battle accoutrements, and the LED matrix headlights could cut through sheet steel.
A longer drive will thoroughly see to the claims of advanced technology.
Most brands exaggerate the limits of their ability especially when it comes to safety aids and driver assistants.
Putting that aside, the PHEV gives the 408 60km of blissful Zen, sans the rattle of exploding dinosaurs. Eventually the fuel-burners fire up, and the combined effort of 165kw/360Nm gets the 1684kw saloon to 100kph in 7.8 seconds.
That seems leisurely for a car of this class, but big French cars are built for crossing continents cosily, not for Hamilton-thrashing zero-to-a-hundreds.
ABOVE: 2024 Peugeot 408
I could imagine packing a gingham lined wicker basket ready to head for the hills. There, a Peugeot cannot be beat (so to speak). Ride-and-handling nears sister Citroën’s god-like status. While many of us lament the loss of the latter’s Hydropneumatic marvels, the current crop of Gallic gorgeousness doesn’t dash the dreams of doe-eyed drivers. We will search out blissful bends and tantilising twists, just because we can.
The new infotainment system includes wireless CarPlay, but only 6 speakers? A few more wouldn’t go amiss. The interface was penned after a booze-and-baguette lunch, and is more complex than the previous iteration. It will take a little exploring to get used to and the “Hey Peugeot” often gets a haughty response. I half expected, “Listen carefully, I shall say ziss ernly wernce.”
The seats give you a rub, in the nicest possible way. A gentile pussy wanders up and down your back, taking the tediousness from longer trips. Our drive was fairly short, with no chance of testing the veracity of the fancy gizmos.
The gracious interior has an indefinably regal aura about it. It has the feel of the tastefully appointed lounge of a discrete boutique hotel, and you expect a martini to magically appear on the console at any moment.
At over 67grand, 408 PHEV is not cheap. It may well keep the riffraff out of the showrooms, which is a shame. There are some jolly rich riffraff.
Finally, big French cars have the unenviable reputation of always being sales failures. Mon dieu! 408 is full of flair, beautiful in all its unicité.
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