A new plug-in hybrid Peugeot is coming bearing a 408 badge
Peugeot is expanding its range with a new car, called the 408.
A social media post made on the French firm’s Twitter account only showed one image – a close up of the front – highlighting the grille, badge and 408 badging.
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Peugeot says its new 408 “combines characteristic codes of SUVs with a dynamic Fastback silhouette”. Omitting the 008 badge associated with Peugeot’s SUVs means the 408 will most likely sit between the 308 hatchback and 508 saloon. The 408 should take styling cues from both cars, although the grille shown in the teaser image incorporates a new design.
We know Peugeot is in development of a lifted saloon – in a similar style to the Polestar 2 – and this new 408 could be the car we recently spied testing. Our previous images of the mystery car show Peugeot’s ‘sabre-tooth’ daytime running lights, a lower roofline than the more traditional 3008 SUV, plus a sloping rear that gives it a sportier profile. The triple ‘claw’ rear lights seen on the rest of the brand’s line-up will almost certainly make an appearance too.
Peugeot also alluded to the use of a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the 408. We can expect the 408 to offer the same 1.6-litre, four-cylinder hybrid petrol engines producing 178bhp or 222bhp found in the 308. If a Peugeot Sport Engineered model is in the works then that could get the 508 PSE’s 335bhp hybrid powertrain.
The 408 may not be limited to plug-in hybrid power, however, as it’ll use Stellantis’s modular EMP2 platform so we could see the 128bhp 1.2-litre petrol and 128bhp 1.5-litre diesel being used. As with the 308, it’s likely every powertrain will only be available with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
You’ve been waiting 4 it. Prepare 4 the unexpected. New #Peugeot408 #PlugInHybrid pic.twitter.com/dIkivkrfTU
Given the Peugeot 308 will soon be offered with an all-electric e-308 variant, there could also be an e-408 in the pipeline. In the 154bhp e-308 a 54kWh battery provides 250 miles of range – although the e-408’s extra size and weight will likely mean it won’t be able to travel quite as far. Even so, it should still provide healthy competition to entry-level versions of the Skoda Enyaq Coupe and Volkswagen ID.5.
We expect the upcoming 408 to provide competition to the Toyota C-HR, Renault Arkana and Volkswagen T-Roc, as well offering an alternative to the 508 and 3008 SUV in the brand’s range.
A reveal date hasn’t been announced but Peugeot says the 408 will debut in “late June” this year. There’s no word on pricing yet but given it’ll be larger and more fashionable than the 308, a starting price of around £35,000 seems likely.
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