Peugeot 508 Diesel

It took me some time to get used to this Euro 6 compliant & its features & characteristics. But overall, its quirkiness does give the Pug its personality. Here's my views.

Engine - 1.6 Bluehdi turbo diesel, 120bhp/300nm. It pulls off confidently & you are likely to beat quite a few from red. But don't expect any surging excitement as the pickup is linear & built for comfy. Its feels a little heavy at cold start & a tad noiser. But once you hit the road, especially highway, you can't tell the difference between petrol & diesel. Car comes with Start/Stop feature.

508 thankfully came with good insulation & you barely can tell except for some humming when you press the gas. With some light music, you can't even tell. Of course, it is audible from the outside, but this will soften after EO change. Aisin EAT6 gearbox, was told better than the previous ETG. Heard its also used by Toyota & Lexus, that's reassuring. Transmission is really smooth & pleasant.

Design (Exterior) - Cues likely from Volvo S60 design, with a black plastic below the front grill. The rest follows the previous 508, with major difference being the extended rear bumper. Overall design & body (4.8m long which is Camry size). This Cat A exec sedan is a good looker & you'll enjoy that exclusivity on the road. Interior wise, lots of rubber material instead of plastic, with many buttons which took me time to understand, it exudes a classy yet well made interior that you'll appreciate. Certainly no cheap parts.

I find the car handles ok, comfy & quiet enough to feel luxurious. Braking feels competent & nicely weighted at different speed. With tyre profile of R17/215/50, pushing it around corners, the car will protest a little as the steering is a tad light for me. Bigger rims/wheel might help. Overall, the car feels good to drive, not fantastic or mind blowing.

The biggest reason for choosing it - fuel consumption, especially if you clock high mileage per year, even factoring the higher road tax. Per 70L tank is about 14-15km/L. With the lower cost of fuel, even lower at non-branded kiosks, the savings is not small. Pump & Smile :)

Conclusion - looking for an European exec sedan that's low in fuel cost, doesn't mind the badge, quirkiness, reliability? Look no further.

For what to me, is essentially a diesel highway barge, the suspension is setup is definitely on the firmer side, but thankfully not overly so where u feel too much of the road. Body roll evident and the side supports wont stop the centrifugal forces from swinging you out. This is good as this FF chassis is prone to under-steer at high entry speeds into bends, so Newtonian physics makes me safe(from naggings).

The steering is electric-hydraulic, thus it feels familiar, though i would have liked it if slightly weightier and of a smaller turning radius. If driven as how the HP numbers would suggest, its precise. When i tried driving it like a high powered FR style with dollops of throttle at bends, the steering becomes unpredictably imprecise and didn't like it. Again thats good way of me avoiding situations where the i would wish for the (diesel's)clatter to be louder than the (lady's)chatter.

Diesel clatter is almost inaudible inside cabin till revved hard. Even that its muted(think CLAs/A180s). Whilst driving,at low speeds, esp when u use engine brake/coasting, there is quite a audible humming sound (reminiscent of a Kompressor engine sounds) till the e-hdi system is charged up. NVH is def not on par with this petrol counterparts, but for what it is, its decent.

Keep revs above 1800 and it pulls cleanly and satisfy, below that to expect some lag which could be irritating if you need to rush to a toilet. The changes on the EAT6 torque converter box is smooth so it wont further add to that aching tummy in that emergency.

Seats and creature comfort are good. Start-stop is not as intrusive as the other diesels(even Petrols) i tried, but still irritating and a hassle to turn off. Plastics at door sills are hard scratchy plastic types so I've already placed an order for protectors to keep the junior boots from leaving deep impressions on it.

Lastly, FC wise, loaded short city trips return low 10-ish and anything any drive longer returns in the high 16's to low 20's. Yes 20-ish km/L, even my bike cant do that!

Basically at this point, product wise/ I conclude that it delivered what i expected it to, without much surprises. A blend of European charms, some good, some not so good.

The peugeot 508 diesel is a very pleasant car that offers a lot in terms of comfort and fuel economy. The turbodiesel engine is really torquey at low revs, the ride is supple and comfortable, and the steering is nicely weighted. Its an easy car to drive on the roads, no doubt about it. Fuel economy is also excellent. There's very little diesel drone, so much so that it can easily be mistaken for a petrol car, in my opinion.

styling wise, i'm not sold on the exterior look. To me, it feels a little squashed at the front and the rear, almost like the design is incomplete. However, the rest of the car does look quite elegant and up market. The interior is nice, though. Well planned out, well put together, nice materials everywhere, no complains. Quite spacious as well.