New Peugeot 408 facelift UK prices and specifications revealed
Head-turning fastback is priced from £31,995, and the electric e-408 is only £700 more.
UK pricing and specifications for the updated Peugeot 408 have been announced. There’s a simple three-powertrain line up and each model is available in three different trims. Entry-level hybrid cars will kick off at £31,995, but with a little help from the UK Government’s electric car grant, the electric car is just £700 more expensive at £32,695. Plug-in hybrid models are the most expensive option model for model, starting at £38,445.
All three 408 powertrains are then available in one of three trim lines: Allure, GT and GT Premium. GT models ask an additional £3,500 and include extra features like larger wheels, Matrix LED headlights and Alcantara inserts inside the cabin. Plump for the GT Premium and you’ll pick up heated, electrically adjustable and massaging seats, plus a 360-degree camera system and premium audio.
What are the main differences between the new 408 and the old one?
There have been a range of other changes right across the range, mainly to do with exterior styling. The 408’s distinctive fang-like daytime running lights are replaced by sleeker ‘three-claw’ DRLs that are connected by LED strips incorporated into the new more sculpted grille, similar to the design on latest 308 hatchback and estate.
Sitting in pride of place in the grille is an illuminated Peugeot shield, which will be found on top-spec models and goes with the lit Peugeot lettering that’s been added to the bootlid. The new 408 is the French firm’s first car with this feature, which is integrated into a transparent strip spanning the rear, which also connects the new three-claw tail-lights.
In order to not distract from the striking new daytime running lights, Peugeot has tried to conceal the headlights, using sleeker units and placing them lower down in the redesigned bumper and integrated into glossy black inserts. Similarly, the car’s proximity radar is hidden behind the Peugeot badge.
Gloss and matt black accents to the new 408’s grille give it a more elegant look, and there is also an exclusive Flare Green paint colour. Its hue is supposed to change depending on the light levels, shifting towards bright yellow in sunlight and deep green in shadow.
What changes are there inside?
The interior is largely the same as the current Peugeot 408, which you can currently save nearly £10,000 on brand-new examples of through our Buy A Car service.
Inside, there are some updated graphics on the 10-inch driver’s display, however, plus new fabrics and other materials chosen to boost perceived quality, especially in top-spec models which will feature aluminium, Alcantara and Nappa leather.
Tell me about the 408’s powertrains
Peugeot will offer the new 408 with a choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric powertrains. The entry-level model features a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an e-motor built into a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which work together to deliver 143bhp and fuel economy of up to 56.5mpg. Plus Peugeot claims it should spend half the time driving in EV mode around town.
The 408 plug-in hybrid pairs a larger 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a more powerful 123bhp e-motor and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. Combined power output stands at 237bhp, while a 14.6kWh battery offers a 53-mile electric driving range, up from roughly 40 miles in the old PHEV model.
Finally, the all-electric E-408 gets the same 58.2kWh usable battery as before, but thanks to refinements to the car’s aerodynamics is supposedly more efficient now and can cover 283 miles on a single charge (three miles further than before).
A single electric motor producing 211bhp and 343Nm of torque drives the front wheels, and with a maximum charging speed of 120kW, Peugeot says topping up the E-408 from 10 to 80 per cent should take around 30 minutes.
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