Peugeot’s 508 Sport Engineered uses electric power to create the brand’s most powerful production car ever.
This is the new Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered. It’s the first model from the French brand’s newly formed performance arm, which will rival the BMW 330e and Volkswagen Passat GTE in a rapidly expanding marketplace of sporty plug-in hybrid saloons. The new model is expected to go on sale in early 2021.
The Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered’s PHEV powertrain comprises a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor mounted on each axle. The system generates a combined output of 265kW and 520Nm of torque – making it the most powerful powertrain Peugeot has ever fitted to a production vehicle.
Peugeot says that this tuned 508 will dispatch the 0–100km/h sprint in 5.2 seconds, before reaching an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. Thanks to the instant torque from the electric motors, the car’s claimed in-gear acceleration is decent, too – Peugeot says the saloon will get from 80–120km/h in three seconds flat.
The 508 PHEV’s 11.5kWh battery pack provides a maximum pure-electric range of 42km, while recharging from a domestic wallbox charger will top up the battery in less than two hours. What’s more, with a full charge, the powertrain will deliver a claimed WLTP fuel economy figure of 2.03L/100kmand generate just 46g/km of CO2.
To support the extra power, Peugeot has fitted the 508 with a few chassis tweaks, including new adjustable dampers, a widened track and larger diameter front brakes with fixed four-piston calipers. There’s also a new set of 20-inch alloy wheels, shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.
Peugeot hasn’t neglected the bodywork, either – buyers get a more aggressive front bumper, a gloss black rear diffuser, a new radiator grille and a pair of black exhaust outlets. There’s also a handful of “Sport Engineered” monograms dotted around the exterior and three unique paint finishes to choose from – Selenium Grey, Perla Nera Black and Pearl White.
The makeover continues inside with a premium Focal stereo system and a pair of new sports seats clad in Alcantara and leather upholstery. The standard 508’s 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 10-inch infotainment system have both been transferred into the Sport Engineered model, too, although both feature unique graphics.
No word yet on if the new powerful, electric Peugeot will come to Australia.
Luke Wilkinson