What's it like?
Standard kit for the money is decent, with a wireless smartphone charge pad, ambient interior lighting and the usual suite of infotainment goodies, among numerous other features, all present and correct.
There can be no denying the 508 is a smart-looking thing, either. There’s the sharp front end, a low roofline that’s just 1.4m off the ground and, of course, that sloping roof that adds a coupé-esque look to the profile. Its overall length of 4.75m also means it’s quite a compact car.
The cabin, or i-Cockpit as Peugeot refers to it, has really come into its own in the 508 too. The small steering wheel sits a touch too low for some, but the generous use of soft-touch materials on the dash, the layout of the infotainment system with its piano-key controls, the 12.3in digital instrument display and the combination of gloss black and brushed metal panelling all make for an aesthetic that’s very pleasing indeed. It is perhaps not as slick as that of an A4 or a 3 Series and certainly some way off a Mercedes C-Class, but impressive nonetheless.
Peugeot’s active suspension - comprising MacPherson struts at the front, a multi-link arrangement at the rear and adaptive dampers all round - lends the 508 very agreeable on-road manners. Its primary ride is calm and pliant, with undulations only leading to a small degree of vertical body travel and sudden compressions are soaked up with little bother, particularly in the Comfort drive mode. The optional 19in alloys that our test car rode on did make for a secondary ride that was a bit juddery at times, though certainly not harsh enough to make it any worse than its competition. We tried the 508 on 18in alloys, too, and the ride was only marginally better in this regard.
The steering, at 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, is medium in terms of pace, and while it does weight up nicely at speed (it’s very light and floaty indeed at lower speeds), there’s little in the way of communication to be gleaned here. Still, that’s not to say it’d dissuade you from driving with a bit more in the way of enthusiasm on a windy road. In fact, in Sport mode - which adds even more weight to the steering, tightens up body control further and sharpens throttle response - the 508 is a reasonably enjoyable thing to hustle along. Enjoyable, yes, but not exciting.
As for the powertrain, chances are you won’t find yourself wanting in terms of performance. Peugeot’s claimed 0-62mph time of 7.9sec feels reasonably accurate, while exercising the entire length of the throttle pedal’s travel doesn’t lead to an overly vocal protest from the engine either. The eight-speed automatic transmission is generally very smooth, too, aside from a hint of hesitancy at lower speeds. That said, it’s still far tidier than VW Group’s DSG 'boxes are in this regard.
