Peugeot 408 long-term test

The Car Peugeot 408 1.2 Puretech GT Run by Jonty Renk, senior videographer

Why it’s here To prove that an executive car can turn heads and still be a fantastically comfortable and practical companion for long journeys

Needs to Be spacious enough for both passengers and video equipment, frugal in town and on the motorway, and as inspiring to drive as it is to look at

Mileage 13,472 List price £34,695 Target Price £31,347 Price as tested £28,085 Test economy 39.9mpg Official economy 48.1mpg Dealer value now £27,022 Private Value now £24,020 Running Costs (excluding depreciation) Fuel £961.61

18 March 2024 – Style icon

If you went back 20 years, lined up Peugeot’s new cars in a row and placed my Peugeot 408 somewhere in the middle, I reckon it would stand out as much as a spaceship would.

The brand’s current styling is, to my eyes, among the most distinctive and attractive of all mainstream car brands – and I think the 408 is the best-looking Peugeot of the lot.

From the LED light ‘fangs’ at the front to the ‘fastback’ design at the rear, my car is properly dramatic to look at – especially so in the Elixir Red paint I chose. In fact, more than one colleague has commented on this car’s likeness to the Ferrari Purosangue – a model which, as you might imagine, is vastly more expensive. So, as I get ready to hand the keys back, I know I’ll definitely miss those head-turning looks.

It’s not just the outside of the 408 that I’ve liked, though. Not only is the interior trimmed with plush materials and solidly built, but I also got on straight away with the i-Cockpit dashboard layout, which has you looking over (rather than through) a small steering wheel at the instrument panel. In some other Peugeots, this set-up can be a bit hit and miss, depending on your height, but here I found a driving position that felt right and allowed me a full view of the 10.0in digital driver’s display.

It was also great having the centre console angled slightly towards me in the driver’s seat, making it easy to see and reach the infotainment system and other controls there. However, I’ve not got on as well with other bits of the 408’s technology, and I think Peugeot’s infotainment department would do well to understand that sometimes less is more.

For example, when you go to a different menu page, the screen makes a song and dance as it transitions slowly from one to the other. It would be much better, I think, if the screen hopped swiftly between functions without the fanfare. Rather than getting used to this, I got more and more frustrated with it.

What’s more, the wireless Apple CarPlay phone mirroring was erratic, randomly dropping out or not connecting in the first place. The only way I could get it working reliably was to have my phone plugged in via a USB cable, which, because it provided power as well, then negated having the wireless phone charger I’d specified.

Still, whenever I felt stressed about the infotainment system, I was glad to be able to turn on my massaging seat to help me relax a little. This was one of the many reasons I was really pleased I went for range-topping GT trim, because I had not only the luxury of a massage when I felt like it, but also a heated steering wheel and matrix LED headlights that gave me maximum visibility at night without dazzling oncoming drivers.

Elsewhere, the 408 gave me my first taste of life with an electric tailgate that I could open by just waggling my foot under the rear bumper – something I will now be looking for on any other cars I drive.

On the other hand, if I had my time again, I would hesitate to add the optional Drive Assist 2.0 feature for steering assistance on the motorway, because I’d regularly be told to hold the steering wheel by the driver display while I was using it, despite the fact that both my hands were already on the wheel.

As for my engine choice, I got on well with the 128bhp 1.2-litre Puretech petrol unit in my car. This is a small, turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, but it was plenty punchy enough, even on the motorway. In fact, it was only at low speeds that performance sometimes disappointed, with the 408’s lazy automatic gearbox to blame.

Overall, I enjoyed living with the 408. And I’m excited to see how Peugeot’s styling develops over the next 20 years.

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