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Peugeot 508 SW: First report

Black magic? Our menacing new 508 has impressed with its blend of style and practicality

Peugeot 508 SW and Graham Hope

Text: Graham Hope / Photos: Dave Smith

October 2011

“Any colour so long as it’s black.” Henry Ford’s summary of the Model T is one of the most famous motoring phrases of all-time and over the years, I’ve followed it a little too literally when it comes to clothes, accessories, furniture... anything really. Except, surprisingly, cars.

Why? Well, to my eyes, black cars can look awfully sombre, and show up dirt too easily. However, currently standing resplendent on the Hope driveway is a Nera Black Peugeot 508 SW Allure, and I have to say I rather like it. The estate is a well proportioned, smart-looking car and the moody paintjob adds a hint of menace.

So, as first impressions go, it’s off to a good start. And it’s doing a fine job elsewhere, too. Top of my priorities for any car at present is practicality, on account of my two-year-old daughter and the wealth of gear that follows her around. A decent sized boot of 512 litres easily swallows up her buggy, but handily leaves space for other items, too – like the A1-sized poster I picked up from a framing shop the other weekend.

Wide-opening rear doors make accessing her rotating Maxi Cosi Axiss seat easy, while there’s adequate legroom and headroom in the front and back if you are carrying a car full of passengers.

Encouragingly, there is little to fault in terms of quality, either. Even Peugeot would admit this has not been one of its strong points in recent years, but the 508 is  comfortable and solid inside. It’s certainly the best-quality Peugeot I’ve ever driven.

The switches feel robust, the half-leather upholstery adds a dash of class and the chrome-rimmed dials are a neat touch. But the real showstopper is the panoramic roof.

Simply twist a dial beside the rear view mirror and a roof blind retracts in four stages to reveal the sky above you. It makes the cabin much more airy – and has also cast a spell over my daughter Isla, who simply loves watching it glide back then staring towards the heavens.

Irritations? Only minor ones. The radio control on the right-hand spoke of the steering wheel seems to be located in just the right spot for me to inadvertently change station during certain manoeuvres. And at £24,625, I’d like sat-nav to be standard.

On the road, the 140bhp 2.0-litre HDi engine provides strong performance. It’s torquey and smooth, and effortlessly takes you up to motorway speeds. But it’s the refinement that stands out; this really is a relaxing and stress-free car to drive at pace.

At lower speeds, though, the ride isn’t as accomplished as you’d want, particularly when negotiating speed bumps.

And it’s not an especially involving car to drive, although that won’t be of much concern to most buyers in this market.

Promised fuel economy is 56.5mpg, although we’re falling short of that as the car hasn’t ventured too far out of town. We’ll keep you posted on how the 508 fares as we pile on the miles. Will it be black magic or black marks? Watch this space...

For an alternative review of the latest Peugeot 508 visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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4 Comments

Hooray

At last Peugeot are rediscovering their old USP. Once upon a time Peugeots were seen in a similar light to that of Audis of a few years ago. They were solid, comfortable, worthy vehicles. Sadly Peugeot lost sight of this and disappeared down a blind alley of increasingly hideous design. (Sadly Audi have somewhat lost sight of it too, with their ghastly gaping snouts etc) Hopefully this Peugeot indicates a return to old values!

By pajbse on 11 October, 2011, 4:01pm

Dude (reviewer) what are you saying?

"Even peugheot would admit that the quality isn't its strong point in recent years".

Are you mad? Interior quality is a strong point in every new peugheot for years!!! Talking about biased

By giorikas81 on 13 October, 2011, 9:26am

@giorikas81

Thanks for your comment. Peugeot came low down in our list of most reliable manufacturers in this year's Driver Power survey - they finished 30th out of 34.And these results were based on answers from more than 23,000 readers.

But as our Deputy Editor Graham said above, "the 508 is comfortable and solid inside." This is backed up by the rest of the team, with our Deputy Road Test Editor James saying it feels just as classy and robust as more premium (and expensive) rivals.

We're looking forward to seeing how it copes with everyday family life over the next couple of months - we'l be posting updates on the site and in the magazine.

Thanks!
Auto Express

By Rhian on 13 October, 2011, 10:00am

i have noticed in autoexpress and other magazines that it is stated that a particular car does not meet its promised mpg figures. but it is usually the combined figure that is quoted - you often have to read the text to find out the kind of conditions the car was driven in.

you have done the same thing again in this review. you say the 5o8 hasnt met the quoted mpg but then qualify this by saying the car has not been been driven much out of town. your average mpg of 37.6 is actually quite close to the theoretical official urban mpg of 42.

in the right conditions i can achieve the official mpg in my accord diesel tourer. it is very easy for anyone not to get good mpg ! finally can i suggest that in your tests you calculae the mpg after the performance testiing is done, as otherwise you end up with a mpg figure that is as meaningless as you often claim the official figures are.

By cdtiman on 13 October, 2011, 9:58pm

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Pictures

Peugeot 508 SW and Graham Hope
Peugeot 508 SW rear three-quarters
Peugeot 508 SW dash
Peugeot 508 SW panning
Peugeot 508 SW boot
Peugeot 508 SW rear seats
Peugeot 508 SW detail
Peugeot 508 SW detail

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Extra Info

“It’s clear Peugeot is serious about improving quality. The 508’s cabin feels as classy and robust as premium rivals, while the car is refined on the move. But only time will tell if this feeling of solidity lasts.”
James Disdale, Deputy road test editor

Other Reports

REPORT

[+]
Folding seats in a car should be simple, but often develops into a test of mental agility and physical strength the Krypton Factor would be proud of. But the 508 SW has a clever solution I really like and other makers would do well to copy. Pull this flap in the boot and the rear seats flop down immediately.
[-]
You don’t want anything to take the sheen off getting the keys to your car, so I was disappointed to find corrosion on the brake disc hub peeping through the alloys before I’d even driven the 508. Yes, it had 5,000 miles on the clock, and it’s not a deal-breaker... but it’s annoying nonetheless.
On fleet since:September 2011
Price when new:£24,625
Running costs:37.6mpg
Mileage:6,380
Engine / Power:2.0-litre 4cyl/140bhp
Options Fitted:Metallic paint (£450), front parking aid with parallel assist (£255), xenon lights and daytime running lights (£715)
Trade-in Value Now:N/A
Insurance Group / Quote:25
Costs:None
Any Problems?:None
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