Peugeot 508 gains design and powertrain overhaul for 2023

The Peugeot 508 will receive a design makeover, a new emblem and an updated powertrain line-up later this year to bring the French firm’s flagship model in line with the rest of the Peugeot range. 

Set to go on sale in June in SW estate and saloon guises, the revised 508 will be the first car in the model range to feature an updated version of Peugeot's sabre-tooth lighting system, with a three-spoke “claw” design. 

A new grille, similar to that of the latest Peugeot 408, completes the model’s front-end design update with gloss and textured black features and the new Peugeot emblem. 

The big design overhaul will help to extend the life of the R83-generation model, which was first introduced in 2018.

Both the saloon and SW estate variants measure 1.86m wide, while the saloon is 4.75m long and the estate 4.79m. Luggage capacity is 487 litres in the saloon, or 1537 litres with the seats folded down. This increases to 530 litres and 1780 litres in the estate.

Inside, the 508 receives much of the technology seen elsewhere in the Peugeot line-up, with a redesigned dashboard and centre console. It gains a 10.0in central infotainment display partnered with Peugeot’s 12.0in i-Cockpit system and a compact steering wheel. 

As well as voice recognition, sat-nav, a motorised boot, two USB sockets and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the 508 benefits from a night vision camera that can detect cyclists, animals and pedestrians. 

Assistance equipment is vast and includes level two semi-autonomous capability, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane assist, parking sensors, a reversing camera and an automatic high beam. 

The 508’s specification line-up has been slimmed to just three options - entry-level Allure, GT and performance-biased Peugeot Sport Engineered - with a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid power.

Peugeot’s entry-level offering, as seen on the smaller 308 and 408, includes a three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol PureTech engine with 130bhp on tap. A 130bhp 1.5-litre diesel is also available.  

As for electrified options, the new 508’s plug-in hybrid powertrains are all supported by a 12.4kWh battery, a 109bhp electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

Peugeot didn’t disclose the model’s electric-only range figure, but it is likely to be around 40 miles, similar to that of the PHEV version of the Peugeot 308.  

A 150bhp PureTech engine opens the hybrid range, followed by a more powerful 180bhp unit. Peugeot Sport Engineered cars gain a 200bhp powertrain with four-wheel drive and an energy management system from the Peugeot 9X8 hypercar.

The 508’s Sport Engineered variant is slightly larger than the standard car, measuring 22mm wider at the front and 12mm at the rear. It gains 380mm front brakes, 20in wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres as standard, along with variable damping with Comfort, Hybrid and Sport driving modes, 

Charging takes around one hour 40 minutes using a 7.4kW charger. Hybrid variants can also be equipped with either a 7.4kW or 3.7kW onboard charger. 

“Peugeot 508 reinforces its technological and feline identity with the radical character of the new 508. Ultra-thin headlamps and the three-claw signature are part of a grille that blends into the bumper, making for a spectacular front end,” said Matthias Hossann, Peugeot’s design director.

The 508 will be built in France at Stellantis’s Mulhouse factory. Peugeot hasn’t revealed pricing for the model yet, but expect it to command a slight premium over the outgoing car, which starts from £33,945.