Peugeot took us to the Douro Vinhateiro to present the 408 Hybrid at a time when the brand has been leading the way in 2021, 2002 and 2023 (to date).
Achieving leadership alone was not the goal, and for more than a decade, the brand has wanted – and managed – to increase its market share year after year through sustainable growth. To this end, it had the ability to surprise customers with new models.
And that’s the recipe with the new 408. Peugeot is the leader in the C-class, and the main shift to the electrified sector will be the key word. In this way, the brand wants to be the leader in Europe with its 100% electric vehicles. .
Peugeot’s e-Lion project is based on several goals – commitment to the ecosystem, experience, electrification, efficiency and ecology, and by 2038 they want to be neutral throughout the entire production cycle. In 2024 the brand plans to launch the 408 electric and in 2025 all models in the range should have electric.
And it is on this design that the brand has presented us with the 408 Hybrid, unexpected from every angle, given its stylistic concept…. Derived from the combination of several, it will look for the differentiation factor in each one…for SUV, Coupe, Van and Sedan.
And the beauty of the 408 is right there. In a well-executed design, it allows you to have a higher headroom (for an SUV) which the large wheels also contribute to, the ease of a typical truck tailgate for added versatility, and the styling of a coupe – but still ensuring high quality access to the rear seats and a sedan for its styling.
The intentions of the brand for this model are clear, knowing that 46% of the market is SUV and that this hybrid model is focused, according to pre-sale data, on:
• Private clients (30%) and commercial clients
• 65% prefer plug-in hybrids.
With the brand values - “gravity”, passion, design excellence and feline posture -, the new generation high-end i-Cockpit 3D, 408 hybrid is engineered for power transmission with superior quality, even from the top, with an identity light signature (full LED headlamps and headlights daytime running lights called “Lion’s Tusks”), with body-coloured grille incorporating the brand’s new logo and raised mudguards.
The dynamic effect of this fastback makes the silhouette innovative and unique in the segment as even the new 20″ mono-light (square interior) wheels are designed to increase aerodynamic efficiency.
Tailgate details that do not need a wiper blade and cat ears (the upper part of the boot – to increase aerodynamic efficiency), as well as for the inverted cutout of the rear bumper.
To offer the 408 Hybrid, the brand presented two versions; One with a 1.6 engine with 180 hp, the other with 225 hp. And to test the new model, the brand gave us more than 700 kilometers to understand the added value of the 408 Hybrid on a journey that took us from Lisbon to the Douro wine region.
Inside, the quality of build and materials, i-cockpit 3D, small steering wheel, comfortable seats that welcome and support us and a full suite of well-designed technology (software) stand out. With these arguments, we hit the road where it was possible to understand that the brand “put a lot of chips” in the 408, whether in sound insulation, materials or build quality – as some customers in the upper segment may choose this model – for the interior space, and versatility, build quality and materials, and overall design.
An eight-speed gearbox with paddles on the steering wheel and 180 horsepower is more than enough. But above all, what you notice in this model is the efficiency of the chassis, the Germanic comfort (rijo qb), the precise steering with a high level reading of the road and the behavior, both on the road and the highway, that combines strictness and efficiency.
We often highlight in car tests the suspension, demeanor, and steering, but in this model it is gratifying to note that the brand really wanted to launch a high level product as all these factors were taken into account when producing the final model. Hence the high expectations of the brand in launching this hybrid model that achieves consumption, after the battery runs out with a range of more than 60 kilometers, from 7.8 to 8 liters per 100 km.
We got to know Peugeot and how much it has achieved in the automotive world and its presence in the sport and I think this model has incorporated a lot of that knowledge to show the validity of the concept and if there were any doubts, on the way back from Pinhão to Lisbon, where we had the opportunity to drive the 225hp version, we found That in everyday life, and for the average user, the difference in hp is not relevant, and that is why, most likely, the 1.2 version of 130 hp will not be a bestseller, nor the 225, but the average hybrid with 180 hp combines efficiency, quality and availability of the engine, especially when We select the sport mode (in addition to the hybrid and electric)
In terms of price, the 1.2 with 130 hp starts at 35,800 euros, and the hybrid between 45,000 and 50,700 euros.
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