Peugeot 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered review

You’ll surely be familiar with Peugeot’s ‘i-Cockpit’ by now, with the instruments high-mounted and viewed over the top of a small steering wheel rim, rather than through the wheel itself, and it’s much of the sameness here.

We find it works best in higher-riding stuff like the 2008, because the upright driving position suits the set-up. Laid back in the 508, we reckon it's much harder to get along with. Depends how tall you are though.

The dinky steering wheel remains a crowd splitter as well. It's fine if your preference is to sit with the seat-back fairly upright and the wheel not too high. Sadly, even after the facelift you can't get the fancy 3D graphics in the instrument screen, as seen on the 208. A 50-odd grand technological halo car shouldn’t have its UI gazumped by its supermini range-mate.

Shame. What's the rest of the interior like?

There’s a lot to like in here. Shout out to the ace big enveloping sports seats, which come with a massage function boasting five settings (with three levels of intensity apiece).

The upholstery, with texture-stitched Alcantara, looks and feels good, and the rest of the furniture as lively, with smart finishes.

Perhaps inevitably, the 508’s flashes of its chintz occasionally feel a touch superficial. Frameless windows, which electrically buzz up and down an inch as you open and close the doors, bring a touch of exotica to a saloon or estate car. But given the rear doors have a fixed quarterlight of glass that stick crudely up, it could be accused of being skin-deep glamour.

Is it suitable for families?

Peugeot’s big claim is that the batteries and motors of the PSE are placed so that they don’t eat into the 508’s limb and luggage space (487/530 litres in the saloon and estate respectively). Phew.

This sits at the pokier end of the posh saloon market, with the devilish good looks on the outside resulting in slender windows and a slightly dark, claustrophobic feel inside. To get decent foot-space, people in the back need to plead with the ones in the front to raise their seats.

The SW estate adds more room for family gear, and still looks cooler when there's just you aboard. Win.