Peugeot 508 – new info

29th June 2010

It’s time to high five the new Peugeot. Caught ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut, development of the 508 continues. The newcomer is due on sale in the UK in the second quarter of 2011, and is set to usher in a new era of Peugeot design.

According to a Peugeot spokesman, the car is shaping up to offer “a timeless design that sets a strong message for all of the firm’s future cars.”

It’s been overseen by group design director Jean-Pierre Ploué and Peugeot styling chief Gilles Vidal, the designer of the tiny BB1 city car. Our source confirmed that whereas the SR1 concept car, shown at Geneva, “should be seen as a manifesto for the future,” the new 508 will show how this translates to the road.

As has been reported before, the 508 replaces both the 407 and 607. And unlike the larger car, the 508 completes Peugeot’s efficient platform strategy – it will be built on the third of Peugeots trio of standard platforms.

The 508 will be built at the firm’s Rennes factory, and will launch with the 1.6-litre turbo petrol and 2.0-litre diesel engines which drive the front wheels. Six-speed manual and conventional auto gearboxes will be offered, but there will not be a DSG option.

The diesel hybrid powertrain which debuts in the 3008 towards the end of this year is likely to be offered in the 508 at a later date too. The system is fully modular, so wouldn’t take long to convert for use in the larger car.

Peugeot has yet to confirm the 508 name, but it is extremely likely – the car is closer in size to the 407 than 607, and the firm already offers a saloon version of the 308 in China called the 408, ruling that name out for the new car.