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What might the worldwide mid-sized sedan of the future be like? In answer, Peugeot offers us this, the 408, part-saloon, part-coupe SUV, part-practical hatch. The brand claims its 'a new breed of car'. It'll certainly need a different breed of buyer. Here, we look at the updated version.
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Background
To hatch or to SUV? That is the question - or at least it is if you're looking for compact yet spacious and practical family or business conveyance. There needs to be a third way, a blank space in the market not really filled by compact saloons or coupe-SUVs. But possibly resolved by this car, Peugeot's 408.
The 408 was first launched in 2022 as an innovative, style-led Fastback with elements that could conceivably appeal to customers in all the categories just mentioned. Conventionality has characterised previous 4.0-series Peugeots, but this one proved to be anything but. The three (rather than four) digit name designated the company's wish for this car to be seen as distinct from its range of SUVs, but there was plenty of crossover in the chunky aesthetics. Yet at the same time, it aimed to offer a futuristic take what the family hatch of the future might be like.
Under the skin, it was based on (and was designed alongside) a family hatch very much of the present, Peugeot's third generation 308. And like that design, was updated for the 2026 model year to create the car we're going to look at here.
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 34670 | 48860 |
| CO2 (g/km) | 31 | 108 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 131 | 145 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 10.2 | 7.8 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 53 | 53 |
| Min | Max |
| Combined Mpg | 58.8 | 232.3 |
| Length (mm) | 4687 | 4687 |
| Width (mm) | 1848 | 1848 |
| Height (mm) | 1478 | 1478 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 471 | 536 |
| Power (hp) | 136 | 225 |
Driving experience
There aren't any significant mechanical changes as part of this update so on the road, as before, you might find this 408 quite a curious confection. The Fastback visual demeanour's sporty; the soft-orientated ride quality isn't. The grippy little 'i-Cockpit' steering wheel feels ready for wrist-flick B road brawling; the mandatory and rather hesitant 8-speed auto gearbox doesn't. Put aside preconceptions and genre pigeon-holing and you'll be happier. 4-series Peugeots have always been comfort-orientated and the auto gearbox swaps smoothly when unstressed. Plus you might well find the steering to be actually a quite nicely-weighted and engaging set-up, providing you can get on with the 'i-Cockpit' arrangement this car champions.
Arguably the most conventional part of the 408 lies with what you'll find beneath the bonnet, all of it a duplication of what's on offer in the 308 hatch. The range kicks off with the Hybrid 145 e-DSC6 derivative. It's a non-plug-in, but its 48V system (with an electric motor built into the 6-speed auto transmission's casing) runs much of the time in urban traffic on battery power alone.
Next up is the Plug-in Hybrid version. You might marvel at its technology, which mates an 81kW electric motor with a 1.6-litre PureTech petrol engine that primarily contributes to a total output of 225hp. It works with a 7-speed dual clutch auto gearbox and the 17.2kWh battery that powers the motor should deliver about 53 miles of EV range before the engine cuts in.
A full-electric E-408 model is also available, with a 58.2kWh battery pack which energises the same synchronous electric motor as is used in the E-3008, with 210hp and 345Nm of torque. It now offers 283 miles of range (two miles further than before thanks to aerodynamic refinements). All the powertrains on offer only drive through the front wheels. Semi-autonomous drive tech is offered via a 'Drive Assist Pack' that allows stop-and-go driving in lane and semi-automatic lane changes with the indicator toggle stalk.
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Design and build
The 408 remains a stylised mixture between mid-sized crossover and sedan, with feline fashion touches like the unusual bulbous rear diffuser and a duck tail spoiler. You'd have to know the car quite well to appreciate the changes made to this updated model. You might though, notice a few differences up-front where the original version's fang-like daytime running lights have been replaced by sleeker 'three-claw' DRLs connected by LED strips incorporated into the more sculpted grille, which now has gloss and matt black accents and, to suit the current trend, now incorporates an illuminated Peugeot shield. Peugeot has tried to conceal the headlights as part of this update, using sleeker LED units placed lower down in the redesigned bumper and integrated into glossy black inserts. Peugeot lettering has been added to the boot lid, integrated into a transparent strip connecting the new three-claw tail lights.
Not much is different in the 308-derived cabin, apart from a few new fabrics and some better-chosen materials, along with updated graphics for the instrument screen. Otherwise, it's as before, which means everything's very in-your-face and angular, with the dashboard and centre console at different levels. Virtually everything you touch feels tactile and of high quality, though you only get the full intended effect with one of the 'GT' variants, which feature smart green-stitched trim and part-faux leather upholstery. The first thing you're going to have to decide is whether you can get on with the distinctive 'i-Cockpit' dash design with its tiny steering wheel, above which (rather than through which) you're supposed to view the instruments.
The little gauges you view, which are of the virtual variety displayed on a 10-inch screen, are unusual too, but all the information shown is clear and easy to assimilate and as an option on the 'GT' (or with top trim), this screen layout gets clever 3D graphics. The central monitor is also 10-inches in size, but is deeper and more informative, underscored by virtual buttons and (if you avoid the base variant) below that by a row of what Peugeot calls 'i-toggle' switches which will usually operate the climate features but can be re-programmed for other functions if you wish.
In the rear seat, there's more head and knee room than you get in a 308 - but not much more. And out back in the Hybrid, there's a decent 536-litre boot, extendable to 1,583-litres. With the PHEV and the E-408, those figures fall to 471-litres and 1,528-litres.
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Market and model
As is now usual in the industry, you'll be able to buy or lease this car online, as well as at a dealer. You can expect pricing to be pitched around £3,000 over an equivalent 308. As usual with Peugeot, there are three trim levels, base 'Allure', plusher 'GT' or top 'GT Premium'. The starting point for 408 ownership is around £35,500 for the base Hybrid 145 e-DSC6 version we'd recommend. You'll need nearly £42,000 for the PHEV variant. And around £37,000 for the E-408 EV, though you can bring that down to under £35,000 with the available £1,500 government Electric car Grant deducted.
Standard equipment across the range of course includes the brand's usual 'i-Cockpit' dash layout, which includes a Digital Dial Display and a 10-inch centre infotainment screen with wireless 'Apple CarPlay'/'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring and Peugeot's latest voice control system. LED headlights and tail lamps are standard and entry-level models ride on 17-inch wheels, but you'll want to trade up to the unusual 'squared-off design' 20-inch rims of top variants which are aero-styled to contribute to the 0.28Cd drag factor. Key options include thicker side glass, night vision and a 'Drive Assist Pack which offers limited semi-autonomous drive tech and Rear Traffic Alert. In the mainstream range, customers will choose between a small range of options packs.
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Cost of ownership
The running costs from the Hybrid and PHEV petrol engines used by the 408 will be very little different to those of equivalent 308 hatch models. Think 58.8mpg on the combined cycle and 108g/km of CO2 for the Hybrid 145 e-DSC6 variant. As for the Plug-in Hybrid variant, the Plug-in Hybrid 225, well as we mentioned in our 'Driving Experience' section, around 48 miles of battery running is claimed, while CO2 is rated at up to 31g/km. Frugality-wise, the 408 Plug-in Hybrid variant is rated at around 232mpg on the combined cycle.
From a household plug, the PHEV variant will be replenished in just over seven hours. You'll find 3.7kW single-phase charging supported as standard, which means recharges will take four hours and 20 minutes. A 7.4kW on-board charger is available as an option and plugged into a wallbox, the battery will take just over two hours to be topped up. The plug-in hybrid 408 variant offers a thermal pre-conditioning function too.
As for the E-408 EV, it has a maximum DC charging speed of just 120kW. Not great, but this E-408 can still DC-charge from 20% to 80% in just over 30 minutes, recovering 62 miles of range in just over 10 minutes. To optimise charging, the driver can programme the lower and upper thresholds via a 'Charging' section of the central screen, for example, setting a minimum charge of 20% and a maximum of 80%.
What about home AC fast charging for the E-408? Well, its smaller-than-normal battery helps a bit here too. Like pretty much every EV these days, this Peugeot can AC-charge at 11kW if you happen to have a 3-phase supply. And if you can do that, you'll need 6 hours 15 minutes for a full charge. It'll be 7 hours 30 minutes if you've a single-phase 7.4kW wallbox.
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Summary
When you boil everything right down to it, the 408 is merely a 308 hatch with trendier tailoring. Yet, especially in this updated form, it feels so much more than that. Choose one and your family and friends will spend hours arguing over exactly what kind of car it is, missing the point, which is that this Peugeot doesn't want to be pigeon-holed into any particular category. It's style-led without being impractical. And futuristic, but also very much of its time.
It's a pity that the budget didn't extend into allowing the design team to create a unique interior. But you could argue that it's 308-derived cabin is already unusual enough. Less of an issue is all the carry-over engineering. So will the 408 set a new trend? Or be in future remembered as an interesting curiosity? It will be fascinating to see.
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