New Peugeot 408 boasts fastback styling, hybrid power

MANILA: With the new 408, Peugeot is offering a new fastback silhouette at the top of the C segment. The 408 sports a feline stance, electrified power, and other convenience technologies. 

The Peugeot 408 will arrive in the market at the beginning of 2023. A car with a global ambition, it will be produced first in Mulhouse, France for the European market, with the Chengdu factory in China for the local market following soon after. 

The 408 stands out with its dynamic fastback silhouette and feline stance typical of the brand’s models. To complement the sharp lines, the grille is the same color as the bodywork to blend in perfectly with the front end that also proudly boasts the new Peugeot emblem with the head of a lion. 

The 408 sits solidly on 720-millimeter-diameter wheels and 20-inch rims that feature a disruptive geometric design. At the front, the fang-shaped light signature perfectly integrates the 408 into the Peugeot family, as do the three-claw LED lights at the rear.

With a length of 4.69 meters and a long wheelbase of 2.79m, the new 408 has a remarkably spacious second row with 188mm of legroom. The boot boasts a volume of 536 liters, which can be increased to 1.611 liters once the rear seats are folded down. To improve aerodynamic efficiency, the car is made slim at 1.48m tall.

For both its driver and its passengers, the 408 offers the latest generation of the Peugeot i-Cockpit dashboard. It is instantly recognizable by its compact steering wheel designed for more driving pleasure and controlled agility. Quality and connectivity are onboard as well as the very latest technologies.

In the safety front, the car's driver assistance systems are powered by six cameras and nine radars. The safety kit includes: Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go function, Night Vision, which warns of animals, pedestrians or cyclists ahead before they appear in the high beam, Long-range blind spot monitoring (75 meters), and Rear Traffic Alert, which warns of a potential hazard when reversing.

The range of engines powering the 408 includes two rechargeable hybrid versions with 180 and 225bhp, and a 130bhp petrol version. All three power plants are paired with an eight-speed electronic  automatic gearbox. An all-electric version of the 408 will follow a few months later after the hybrid and gasoline cars' release.

Efficiency was a priority in designing the 408. The combination of Peugeot's efforts in terms of aerodynamics, weight reduction (from 1,396 kilograms), and low-emission hybrid and gasoline engines means that the vehicle nets a low average energy consumption. 

Photos from Peugeot

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