Peugeot announces 221bhp plug-in hybrid versions of the 508

Peugeot has announced a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the saloon and estate variants of the 508.

The French firm’s large family car is the latest model in its line-up to get petrol-electric power in the form of a 1.6-litre petrol engine and an electric motor on the front axle. Combined, they produce 221bhp, while the 11.8kWh battery provides up to 30 miles of electric-only driving.

Official fuel economy figures are measured at 217mpg and CO2 emissions of 29g/km (30g/km for the SW estate) under the latest WLTP certification. The result is that both models will fall into the lowest benefit in kind rate of 10 per cent for business and fleet users from April 2020.

Both the 508 and 508 SW come with four selectable driving modes. ‘Zero emissions’ forces the car to stay in electric mode, ‘sport’ combines the power of the petrol engine and electric motor for maximum performance, ‘hybrid’ automatically switches between electric and engine power to maximise efficiency, and ‘comfort’ does the same as ‘hybrid’ but softens the suspension.

Peugeot says that it has managed to package the batteries in such a way that boot capacity is not impacted, an issue that affects most vehicles that add hybrid powertrains to their range. The saloon offers 487 litres of boot capacity, while the SW comes with 530 litres.

There will be three trim levels called Allure, GT Line and GT. Top-spec models will get a Nappa leather interior and Focal premium sound system as standard. Both models will also get safety technology such as adaptive cruise control, lane positioning assist and night vision.

David Peel, managing director of Peugeot UK, said: “Peugeot is rapidly embracing an electric future. The all-new 508 and 508 SW hybrids will join our growing line-up of plug-in electric hybrid and fully electric models.”

Peugeot is pushing forward with adding electrified models to its range, including recent additions such as the 3008 hybrid and forthcoming e-208 EV. It plans to offer an electrified version of each of its models by 2023.