The new Peugeot 508 is beautiful. But that doesn’t make the sale any better…

Peugeot has been working on the revised 508. First of all, the front has become completely different, with a special grille full of small blocks of different sizes. However, it will not help the Peugeot 508 in the Netherlands.

Peugeot sold more than 83,000 units of the 405 in the 1980s and 1990s. In subsequent years, the 406 and 407 managed to sell around 59,000 and 26,000 units respectively. And the downward trend continues.

Peugeot 508 victim of the market

The first generation Peugeot 508 was sold more than 23,000 times, with more than 8,500 sales in the best year (2012). Compare that to the new 508, which doesn’t get past 1269 in its prime (2019).

This is not due to the model itself, but to the market, which is moving more and more in favor of SUVs. Consumers want to sit high and apparently find a thick crossover cool. Soaring SUV sales are still rising.

Will the 508 get a successor?

The question is whether the 508 will get a traditional successor. The big sedan and (to a lesser extent) the station wagon are out. But until then, the top model of the Peugeot series has to hold out for a while.

Redesigned front with different lights

And that’s with a redesigned front end, different taillights and headlights, modified alloy wheels, and a range of new colors and trim materials. There are only two trim levels: Allure and GT.

Two plug-in hybrids with 180 and 225 hp

The engine selection is more extensive with a petrol engine (130 hp and 230 Nm) and two plug-in hybrids (180 and 225 hp, both with 360 Nm). All are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Peugeot 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered

Then there’s the Peugeot 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered, also with a plug-in hybrid drive. It is no less than 360hp and 520Nm, giving it a limited top speed of 250km/h. From a standstill to 100 km/h it takes 5.2 seconds.