There is a subtle but significant shift back towards the humble estate car – or station wagon, depending on your favoured parlance. In our book, this can only be a good thing, for when all is said and done, the long-roofed, low-slung form of the classic estate can be both functional and elegant, combining neat proportions with unmatched practicality. In the right hands, a good estate car trumps its saloon equivalent every time.
That’s certainly the case here, with Peugeot’s revised and updated 508 SW. Seen here with a hybrid system, all-wheel drive and light fettling in the shape of the new Peugeot Sport Engineered (PSE) specification, the 508 SW both looks and goes better than almost anything else in its class. The visual success of this car won’t stop Peugeot from pushing SUVs (as one of Stellantis’s fistful of brands, there are plenty of platform-sharing efficiencies to be exploited in every market segment), but hopefully it’ll dissuade some people from unnecessary upscaling.
Peugeot’s ‘5’ badged cars have a long heritage of estate models. From the 504 and 505 (both crisp Pininfarina designs) of the 1970s and 1980s, through to the first generation 508 in 2010, this series of mid-sized saloons and estates has made the most of its large platform to create cars with presence and poise, not pretension.
This is a face-lifted second generation 508 (there was no 506 or 507), and bears the new corporate face previewed by the likes of the 2023 Inception Concept to match other current production models like the 408 Crossover and the recent neat 308.
From the capacious boot to the deliberately alternative architecture of the cabin, the 508 SW surprises and impresses. A modern Peugeot has a small, low-set steering wheel, above which is perched the main instrument binnacle – the company calls it the ‘i-Cockpit’. It’s an unconventional approach, and not always completely successful in terms of legibility, depending on your height, but it is distinctive and certainly not a dealbreaker. Likewise, the central screen is buttressed by a row of satin chrome shortcut switches, reminiscent of key on a piano. They look great, but the function is denuded by the hard-to-reach labelling.
In today’s homogenised market, such minor ergonomic quirks should be celebrated. Besides, familiarity comes swiftly and everything else about this car encourages you to bond with it and accommodate its foibles. Benefits include a furniture-friendly load bay – up to 1,780-litres of space with rear seats down – as well as a sound system developed by Peugeot’s partner, French audio system Focal.
In PSE spec, the 508 SW isn’t a sports car, per se, but the 360 model has a plug-in hybrid system that pairs the 200hp PureTech engine with twin electric motors, front and rear, offering more than enough power for day-to-day driving, as well as the ability to do around 40 miles of electric only travel. It also handles well, in the grand tradition of Peugeots of old, although the softer comfort setting isn’t quite as serene as in a Mercedes or Lexus.
Peugeot is trying to lay claim to a larger share of the premium car market. With models like the 508 SW, it has the hardware to back up the ambition and a solid footing for a fully electric future, even for the estate car.
Peugeot 508 SW PSE HYBRID 360 e-EAT8 4WD, £55,175, Peugeot.co.uk, @PeugeotUK
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