It's almost two years now since Peugeot first revealed the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered, taking the wraps off its 360hp hybrid ahead of the 2019 Geneva motor show. Although things have taken a bit of a turn since then, both 508 PSE saloon and wagon are on sale - albeit in Germany only for now. It costs €66,640 as a four-door, or €67,940 for the estate; at the current exchange rates, that's £59,300 and £60,500 respectively.
There's only so much that can be gleaned from pricing in another country, but anywhere above £50k puts the PSE against some pretty tough opposition - with a variety of powertrains. The Polestar 2 Performance Pack starts at £51,900, the 390hp Mercedes-AMG C43 from £49,675 and the BMW 545e from £54,945. Which might make the Peugeot look a little pricey; however, perhaps its closest rival - the Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered - starts at £56,105. They both combine four-cylinder petrol engines with electricity to reach 62mph in short order, both are claimed to emit less than 50g/km and both have a usable amount of electric range - 27 miles for the Volvo against 26 for the Peugeot.
Seemingly nothing has changed from that original 2019 spec to the 508 PSE that's on sale today. Which, by and large, should be considered a good thing: the Peugeot Sport add-ons - including 20-inch wheels and 'Kryptonite' accents - work well with the 508 shape, and any saloon that's made it to production with wider tracks, Michelin 4S tyres and 380mm front brake discs is fine by us.
Morover, recent fast Peugeots like the RCZ R and 208 GTI PS have been good fun, and while it would be daft to expect quite the same from a hybrid family saloon given the targeted buyer, there's cause for optimism. Not least because the manufacturer has recently promised to launch a Peugeot Sport version of every car, thereby delivering the sort of halo model it sorely lacks across the existing range.
Haico van der Luyt, Managing Director of Peugeot Germany, said of the new car: "Peugeot can look back on an eventful racing history with numerous successes. Based on this experience, we founded the Peugeot Sport Engineered label and are now bringing sustainable performance to the streets. The new Peugeot 508 PSE combines hybrid technology with ultimate driving pleasure."
For now, Peugeot told PH there's nothing just yet on the 508's availability in the UK, but it's unlikely to be far away. Prices that mirror those in Germany would make it a tough sell given the rivals out there, but an expensive fast Peugeot is decidedly better news than none at all. More news when we have it.
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