Peugeot's large luxury car entrant has never really been a huge seller so when the 508, a car that replaced the 407 and the 607, took on the job in 2010, it had large shoes to fill.
Unfortunately, it didn't go down as well as expected, so the French manufacturer has given the car a rather eye-catching facelift to help it compete against the likes of other big names such as the Ford Mondeo and the Volkswagen Passat among others.
Up close and Personal
The Peugeot 508 has undergone a number of cosmetic changes, most of which are concentrated at the front of the car. These include a taller and flatter bonnet, headlamps that now incorporate LED elements as well as new bumpers and grille.
The iconic Peugeot Lion badge has been moved from the front of the bonnet to a more prominent spot at the centre of the grille that is now almost vertical. There's also a bigger bumper at the back, again with a squarer appearance.
All of these combine to give the big Pug a bolder look although still conservative enough to suit its target market.
Unusually in a facelifted model, the 508 has actually been increased in length by 38mm to 4,830mm, although it's also now marginally narrower by 25mm at 1,828mm.
Despite the reduction in width, the big Peugeot has plenty of interior room for passengers and cargo, the latter in the form of a 545-litre boot.
Inside, the design remains largely the same but the centre console has been updated with a new 7.0-inch touchscreen with shortcuts for navigation, climate control, audio and telecommunications functions as well as a new reverse camera.
The Drive
The new Euro 6-compliant 1.6-litre turbocharged engine under the hood of the 508 belies its humble capacity by offering healthy power delivery, and a noticeable slab of low-range torque.
That said, there is still a bit of turbo lag, but the engine spins freely and with a lovely deep rasp once you're up and running.
On the go, the motor does a fine job of shifting the sedan along and proves well-matched to the new EAT6 six-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels. In most situations, the gearing and calibration of the newly-developed gearbox masks the 1.6's relatively modest outputs.
This results in a rather brisk performance that is noticeable via the car's 8.9-second century sprint timing - 0.3 seconds faster than its predecessor.
More impressively, the new engine is more eco-friendly, emitting less carbon and is more efficient at the same time. Assisted by a new stop-start system, the unit claims an impressive fuel efficiency figure of 17.2km/L but over our test run, we only managed 12.7km/L, no thanks to an elephant's right foot and some hard driving.
The new Euro 6-compliant 1.6-litre turbocharged engine under the hood of the 508 belies its humble capacity by offering healthy power delivery, and a noticeable slab of low-range torque.
That said, there is still a bit of turbo lag, but the engine spins freely and with a lovely deep rasp once you're up and running.
On the go, the motor does a fine job of shifting the sedan along and proves well-matched to the new EAT6 six-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels. In most situations, the gearing and calibration of the newly-developed gearbox masks the 1.6's relatively modest outputs.
This results in a rather brisk performance that is noticeable via the car's 8.9-second century sprint timing - 0.3 seconds faster than its predecessor.
More impressively, the new engine is more eco-friendly, emitting less carbon and is more efficient at the same time. Assisted by a new stop-start system, the unit claims an impressive fuel efficiency figure of 17.2km/L but over our test run, we only managed 12.7km/L, no thanks to an elephant's right foot and some hard driving.
And when the car is pushed hard, we found it to have reasonably good handling, despite being clearly aimed at the luxury market. Premium niceties such as a head-up display and a new blind spot monitoring system also help to enhance plush levels.
More importantly, the car is quiet at cruising speeds, with an obvious effort placed on noise suppression. Over bumps and ruts, the 508 rides with typical French pliancy, which - when combined with the comfortable seats and quiet drivetrain - makes it a competent distance muncher.
Conclusion
It is clear that Peugeot has made some worthy changes to the 508. While the updates are largely centred around cosmetic tweaks and improvements to the car's technology and functionality inside the cabin, the car remains a smooth drive and retains its executive sedan vibe.
Perhaps this Pug can wear smaller shoes now..
