PEUGEOT

New 508 SW Wants To Mix It With Premium Compact Estates

With some fierce rivals to combat, the new Peugeot 508 has to be pretty darn good to make a valid point in the D-segment. But is there anything else to it beneath that pretty design?
Pinned against the likes of the Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb, Mazda6, Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Toyota Camry and Ford Mondeo, the French estate has definitely nailed it on the styling front. The same thing can be said about the interior as well, which is youthful and sports lots of premium materials.
As long as you’re not friends with Shaq, those sitting on the rear bench will not complain about leg- or headroom, even with the optional sunroof. At 530 liters (18.7 cu-ft), the boot space of the 508 SW is actually bigger than the premium offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes, although it cannot rival the class-leading Skoda Superb, which boasts a massive 660 liters (23.3 cu-ft) with all seats up.
One of the defining features of the cockpit is the small steering wheel, which makes it easier to maneuver the car at low speeds. Speaking of driving, Peugeot has tried to achieve a good balance between comfort and engaging handling, so you won’t complain about small bumps in the road even with the 19-inch wheels.
Performance is also more than decent, especially with the 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine powering the 508 SW GT model reviewed below, which produces 225 PS (222 hp / 165 kW) and comes paired to a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission.
Now, when combining the strong points with the attractive styling inside and out and mixing them together with a price list that spans between £27,000 and £41,000 ($34,775-$52,810/€31,270-€47,480) in the UK, should you say no to that A4 Avant, 3-Series Touring or C-Class Estate and get the 508 SW instead? The following review might help you decide, but it’s worth noting hat the Audi and Benz start at just a little over £32,000 ($41,215/€37,060), whereas the Bimmer is £2,000 ($2,580/€2,315) costlier.



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