Peugeot considers itself at the enviro-vanguard, with all kinds of perfectly reasonable caveats (apart from so-and-so, who make cars that are tiny; and such-and-such, who only do electric). Apart from them, they really think they’re getting somewhere. The 508 RXH – top of the 508 range, and so much prettier than the 407 – has more up its sleeve than a bit of engine-cutting in traffic.
The diesel engine is a patented world leader in particulate reduction. The emissions are the lowest I’ve encountered for a car this size (119g/km). To prevent overheating and lessen the need for air-conditioning, even the windows have a greenish tint which, with the acoustic lamination and leather upholstery, made me feel insulated and remote – echoingly far away from my fellow road users. Paradoxically, since the car is large, I was often closer than I thought. The blind spot sensors, tiny orange spirals on the wing mirrors, glowed. “Other cars are using the road,” they warned me, silently. “It’s the A23!” I’d yell. “Of course they are.” The spirals, undeterred, kept glowing.
There are four modes, “auto”, “four-wheel drive” (the back wheels powered by an electric motor), “Zev” (100% electric for short distances) and “sport”. For the first few days, in auto, the acceleration was iffy: from 15 to 30, it would pull back, then surge into a perceptible skid. By day four, I could no longer make it happen and everything felt smooth, powerful but biddable. Day six, I was actively trying to skid, to demonstrate to my mister, while he drummed his fingers on the green glass, saying, “Really? You’re trying to make yourself skid in the rain, with children in the back?” “I just want to test the electronic brake force distribution!”
Small things were annoying. The dashboard components were distracting in the over-reflecty front window; the parking camera would happily direct you to drive into a bollard. It was never obvious whether you should push the parking button up or down until you’d tried both ways twice. Harsh conditions, poor visibility, giant puddles, sudden diversions round corners: all that suits the 508, makes sense of its size, shows off its vigour and draws attention to its confident handling. One could imagine oneself more glamorous, more European and modern, living in a mountainous region, being more eco. That’s what you want from a family saloon, right? Some safety; acres of delusion.
Peugeot 508 RXH Blue HDi 180
Price £30,895
Top speed 136mph
Acceleration 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds
Combined fuel consumption 61.4mpg
CO2 emissions 119g/km
Eco rating 9/10
Cool rating 7/10
