My four-year-old and I always play the same ‘spot the car’ game when returning to the supermarket car park. And being a black belt in Where’s Wally?, he never misses the mark.
However, since having the Peugeot 508 SW, he’s not once, but twice mistaken it for a sporty BMW 3 Series Touring – and I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I have too. But this is no accident. Peugeot has specifically designed the 508 to turn heads – hoping that it will imbue motorists with a new-found love for family wagons. And in a world now dominated by family SUVs, driving an estate – especially one as eye-catching as the 508 – feels strangely exclusive, new, and fresh.
Our model is finished in a stonking “Selenium Grey”, which together with the car’s sleek, chiselled front-end – which houses the brand’s reworked lion emblem – has been constantly turning heads whenever I park up. No disrespect to Peugeot, but I’m really not used to getting that kind of reaction behind the wheel of one of their family cars.
That dichotomy between family and fun continues to its interior. While both Citroen and Peugeot have been toying with cockpit-like interiors for a while now, the 508’s interior feels particularly well-executed. Climbing into the driver’s seat can be a little jarring at first, because you really are hemmed in by both the figure-hugging sport seats and the tall centre console. The tiny steering wheel further adds to this sporty feel. Again, this is a French family estate – what’s going on?
This cabin design doesn’t come off as claustrophobic though. Instead, it serves as a nice reminder that every time your bum touches the driver’s seat, you’re not just driving an average, everyday people mover.
But enough drooling over its looks, what’s this 508 SW plug-in petrol hybrid all about? Being a plug-in, there’s a small on-board battery that will allow for around 30 miles of all-electric driving. This electric power can be replenished by plugging in and charging, or by putting the car into e-SAVE mode, which will drip-feed charge back into the battery while driving – effectively allowing the car to be ‘self-charging’.
Admittedly, I haven’t really been doing my part to get the most out of the 508’s plug-in hybrid set-up. I’ve been lackadaisical when it comes to activating its e-SAVE mode. As a result, small bursts back and forth to the shops – which are the sort of trips plug-ins are supposed to excel at – have resulted in some fairly lacklustre economy figures, ranging from 30 to 35mpg. I did, however, venture onto the motorway with about 15 miles of electric range in the battery, and after an hour of driving, I returned with a much more impressive 91mpg figure.
This fuel economy fluctuation isn’t anything unusual though. All plug-ins require a bit of nurturing in order to effectively squeeze out all of their potential efficiency. I usually instinctively slip into eco-conscious mode when behind the wheel of an electrified vehicle – as if the hybrid gods are watching me at all times.
But to be honest, I’ve just been having too much fun in the 508 to think about efficiency. That’s not to say it’s particularly sporty to drive. It’s okay, but its family car underpinnings can be felt the second you take it into a corner at speed. Instead, it’s the 508’s splendid first impression that’s really grabbed me. It feels like a car you’ll never get bored of. Is this wow factor just skin-deep though? Well, let’s see how we get on…
| Model | Peugeot 508 SW GT Hybrid 225 e-EAT8 |
| P11D price | £47,585 |
| As tested | £47,640 |
| Official consumption | 193.6-274.8mpg |
| Our average consumption | 46mpg |
| Mileage | 7,801 |
Standard equipment: Adaptive cruise control, active lane keeping assistance, 360-degree HD colour camera system, DAB radio, Peugeot i-Connect Advanced, automatic dual zone climate control, configurable 12.3in head-up digital instrument panel, 10in HD capacitive touchscreen, compact sports steering wheel, half-leather-effect and Alcantara seat trim, automatic headlights with auto-adaptive function (matrix LED)
Why we’re running it: To see how the head-turning Peugeot 508 handles busy family life.
