Peugeot 408 Review & Prices

The Peugeot 408 is a car for people who want it all - the sleek styling of a saloon car with the higher driving position and ground clearance of an SUV. Or, to be less charitable, it’s for people who want a car that looks like a Lamborghini Urus but don’t want to pay £200,000.

With its glamorous bodywork (it really is a stunner) hiding relatively humdrum mechanicals, the 408 is a bit like serving Coke in a cocktail glass - it might look fancy, but it’s more conventional than you might expect.

There aren’t many direct alternatives to a car like this, but the closest style-led offerings from mainstream brands include the Cupra Formentor, Toyota C-HR, Renault Rafale and Volkswagen T-Roc. If you’re being sensible, you could also throw the Honda Civic and Skoda Octavia into the mix.

The 408 stands out from all of them through its styling, though, and after a mid-life nip/tuck it’s better-looking than ever. There’s a wide, gloss-black grille with a large Peugeot shield in the centre. At night, you can see that the triple-stripe daytime running lights continue into an illuminated bar across the front, and the logo lights up, too - it’s really striking.

Down the side, you get 19-inch wheels as standard in an array of cool designs, and at the rear the Peugeot wordmark sits between the rear lights and is also illuminated. The large black plastic rear bumper isn’t particularly beautiful, but the rest of the car is really eye-catching.

The 408’s interior looks good next to the boring Toyota C-HR or VW T-Roc, but it’s not quite as classy, high-tech or easy-to-use as the latest Peugeot models such as the 3008. The dashboard has lots of different shapes and angles, and isn’t especially cohesive - though it’s screwed-together nicely and has lots of plush materials.

The central infotainment screen is long and narrow, and quite confusing to use. The menu system is a real maze, the graphics are all very dark and it’s just not as responsive as the big Google-powered display in the Renault Rafale.

The shortcut bar beneath it is a nice touch, though. Peugeot calls it ‘i-Toggles’ - stupid name - but it’s a bit like the touchbar on a previous-gen Macbook, where you can set up quick, configurable links to any function you want. A row of hard keys below this gives access to a few climate controls as well as a shortcut to turn off all the safety aids, but it’s a shame there’s no proper climate control panel.

Space in the 408 is okay. The rear seats have lots of legroom, and there’s enough shoulder space for three people, but the sleek roofline means that headroom is tight. With three occupants on board the outer two will be banging their noggin on the headlining.

The boot is a great size, though, at 508 litres - more space than a Volkswagen T-Roc or Cupra Formentor, though the larger Renault Rafale and Skoda Octavia both eclipse it in capacity.

There are two engine options for the 408. There’s a 1.2-litre self-charging hybrid with 145hp, and a 240hp plug-in hybrid. Neither are particularly great - the regular hybrid is rough and noisy, albeit efficient, and the PHEV doesn’t have anything like as much electric range as the best alternatives, so company car rates aren’t as favourable.

While the engines are disappointing, the 408’s chassis makes it quite fun to drive. The suspension is firm, and the small steering wheel is paired to sporty-feeling steering that means it feels really agile in the bends.

That unfortunately means it’s not as nice to drive in town or on the motorway though, with bumps thudding through to the cabin and rather a lot of wind and road noise. Despite the jacked-up exterior, you don’t sit that high-up either, so your view out isn’t fantastic, especially at the rear with its narrow windows.

Verdict

The Peugeot 408’s stunning styling hides a car that doesn’t really stand out from the crowd in any way. It’s just sort of ‘enough’ - roomy enough, efficient enough, posh enough, but nothing that will really impress you. The same is true of many of its alternatives, of course, but unless the supermodel bodywork is a real draw for you then you’d be better served by something more spacious and better to drive, like a Skoda Octavia.

If you like the sound of the Peugeot 408 you can check out the latest Peugeot 408 deals now, as well as Peugeot 408 lease deals. You can also browse used Peugeot 408s from our network of trusted dealers and check out their selection of used Peugeots for sale. You can even sell your car online through Carwow.

The 408 is relatively affordable compared to the alternatives - it’s a few thousand pounds cheaper than a Cupra Formentor or Renault Rafale, and on a par with the Volkswagen T-Roc at just under £31,000.

You don’t miss out on too much kit either, as all Allure models (base-spec) get fancy 19-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, keyless entry, climate control and LED lights. GT models add Matrix LED headlights, thicker front windows for a quieter ride, nicer seat fabrics and a powered tailgate, plus the illuminated grille and badge.

The GT Premium tops the range with a heated steering wheel, heated and massaging seats, a wireless smartphone charger, 360-degree camera and a posh Focal hi-fi system. Costs remain reasonable for the 1.2-litre hybrid, but the plug-in hybrid adds a whopping £7,000 to the price tag, meaning the top-spec GT Premium PHEV tops out at more than £42,000.

Select electric mode and it’s very quiet and refined, but low-speed comfort and high-speed road noise disappoint

In town

The Peugeot 408 looks a long way from an agile sports car, so you might be expecting a relaxing, comfortable ride. However, while it handles potholes and speed bumps pretty well, it’s unsettled over rough, poor quality Tarmac. You regularly feel rumbles through the wheel, which can be irritating, though the petrol version was much more composed over bumps.

It’s a shame, because when you sit in the hybrid 408, see its classy cabin design and pull away in electric-only mode, it gives off a quiet, refined vibe. There are also normal and sport modes that utilise the petrol engine, but the electric mode cuts any use of the engine, so long as you have enough battery charge left.

The self-charging hybrid isn't quite as refined. The engine has a lot of vibration which you feel through the seat and the wheel, and it only drives on electric power at very low speeds.

The brakes are fine when you give them a light press, but as you push your foot down further they suddenly get quite grabby. This can make it difficult to make smooth progress.

Visibility is decent looking forward, but looking out the back you’ll struggle to see much at all. The sloping bodywork looks funky from the outside but it means the rear window is small, so you’ll be relying on the cameras while reversing.

The latest version of the 240hp plug-in hybrid gets a large 16kWh battery, which means it now has a maximum claimed range of up to 53 miles, but you’ll most likely see about 35-40 miles in the real world.

On the motorway

Comfort is fine at higher speeds but it’s here that the intrusive road noise becomes apparent. Wind noise is minimal but the roar from the tyres is noticeable. The standard 19-inch wheels are likely partly to blame, with smaller wheels usually being quieter, if less aesthetically pleasing. Wind noise is also poor on entry-level cars which do without the laminated windows of the GT version.

The plug-in hybrid engine works pretty well getting up to motorway speeds, but it’s not seamless. There’s the initial punch from the electric motors, then as that runs out of puff the engine is waiting for its turbos to spool before really pushing you on to 70mph.

The hybrid doesn't have the same punch but it will get you up to speed swiftly enough. The gearbox can be a little lethargic in responding when you start accelerating, but once you're on the move the engine thrums quietly away as a happy motorway cruiser.

On a twisty road

The advantage of that stiffer suspension is noticeable when you get to some corners. Where you expect a bit of lean there isn’t, so you’ve got more confidence than you might expect when things get twisty. The steering wheel is tiny and makes the most sense here as it almost tricks you into thinking you’re in a dainty sports car. Almost.

In the hybrid, plonk the car in Sport mode and the engine stays on so you get the full petrol-electric experience all of the time. It makes the 408 feel more responsive, and while the Cupra Formentor is more fun still, it’s genuinely surprisingly good on a country road.

The only real disappointment here is that while you can manually shift gears using the wheel-mounted paddles, the car still takes over and shifts up or down when it thinks it’s necessary.

The 408 is practical in the cabin and boot, but the chunky rear bumper can make loading and unloading items awkward

There’s plenty of space for those in the front, and it’s easy to get yourself in a good position thanks to plenty of adjustability in the seat and wheel. One potential irritant is that, for some drivers, your seating position will make the top of the wheel block the view of the dials, so it’s worth checking this before you buy. The seats are very comfortable, so long distances are a breeze.

Practicality is excellent, with a large bin beneath the armrest. The top splits, so the driver can keep their arm rested while the passenger accesses the storage. There’s another small cubby in front of that and a slot for your phone beneath the infotainment system, which houses the wireless charger.

The cup holders are a good size and can carry large bottles, as can the door bins. They’re also felt-lined, so anything you put in there won’t rattle around while you drive.

Space in the back seats

Legroom is excellent in the back, with loads of space from your knees to the seats in front, even behind tall drivers. The footwell is also spacious and there’s a good gap beneath the seat so your feet won’t feel cramped.

Headroom is okay, but taller passengers might find they brush the ceiling as it slopes to the rear. The 408 isn’t particularly wide either, so if you need three people in the back seats they’ll have to be okay with getting cosy, and the outer passengers will find their heads right up against the roof. The Volkswagen T-Roc is roomier for this.

You get the same high quality, comfortable seats in the back as you do up front, and the same roomy door bins. They’re not felt-lined though, while the door materials feel a bit cheaper, so it’s not quite as plush in the back. The central armrest with two cup holders and a load-through chute are further plus points, though.

If you need to fit a child seat, there’s loads of space so even chunky rear-facing seats can be used without the front passenger needing to put their seat too far forward. However, the ISOFIX points are located behind fiddly zips, so getting the seat in in the first place can be a pain.

Boot space

The 408’s boot is a good size at 508 litres in the hybrid, though that drops considerably to 471 litres in the plug-in hybrid model because the battery placement eats into space. Opt for the upgraded Focal sound system and you can knock another few litres off.

That compares pretty well with most alternatives. It’s a bit smaller than the Skoda Octavia, but it’s much bigger than the Cupra Formentor, which measures 450 litres and 345 litres in petrol and hybrid forms respectively.

There’s a small lip that wouldn’t be a major problem when loading heavier items, but the chunky rear bumper means there’s a large ridge to lift items over. You might also get your jeans dirty by leaning on it.

Some nice touches include a lever to drop the seats without having to lean too far into the boot, small nets to store items in, elasticated straps to hold stuff in place and various hooks and handles. Once the rear seats are folded there’s not much of a lip to push luggage over, but the seats don’t go fully flat.

Lots of nice materials and build quality feels excellent, but the 408’s infotainment is slow and confusing

The 408’s interior shares a lot with the smaller 308 hatchback, but while they both impressed at their initial launch, newer models such as the 3008 and 5008 make them feel quite staid and dull in comparison.

The design isn’t particularly cohesive, with lots of shapes, sharp edges and big swathes of plastic.

It’s not particularly easy to use either, which is mostly down to the infotainment system. At 10.0-inches, it’s not a very large screen, and it’s very short and wide - like a letterbox. This means the interface feels stretched out, and it’s less than handy for things like navigation where a taller screen allows you to see further ahead.

Peugeot’s own menu system is quite confusing too, with lots of lists to scroll through. The dark graphics mean it’s not always easy to see everything either.

Two things help you out - first, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard on all models, so you don’t need to use Peugeot’s interface much unless you want to. It’s a shame wireless phone charging is only standard on the top-spec trim, though.

Second is the ‘i-Toggles’ shortcut bar beneath the infotainment screen. This is essentially a second touchscreen which holds configurable hotkeys. Just hold one and then you can set it to control anything on the screen at that point - it’s really easy and very customisable. You could have one set up to take you to the parking camera, for example, and another to set the climate control to your preferred settings instantly.

Beneath this there’s a row of proper buttons, which give one-click access to things like the de-mister. There’s also a shortcut to the driver assistance systems, and holding it down turns them off - which is a neat touch.

There are two hybrid engine options for the Peugeot 408. The first is a 1.2-litre self-charging hybrid, which Peugeot claims is capable of 57mpg. We saw around 43mpg during a week of handling testing, which isn’t bad - you can expect mid-to-high 40s from it in normal driving. That’s about what you’d get from a Cupra Formentor petrol, but the Toyota C-HR’s hybrid engine is far more efficient in the real world.

The second option is a plug-in hybrid with 240hp and up to 53 miles of all-electric range, which is more than you get from the plug-in C-HR but less than the Renault Rafale or Cupra Formentor PHEVs. It’s based around a 1.6-litre engine that’s much smoother than the 1.2 but is still a bit noisy under acceleration.

The PHEV returns good economy with a charged battery but isn’t very clever about saving it, so when the charge runs out you’ll probably see less than 40mpg. While it’s the pick of the range for company car drivers thanks to its lower Benefit-in-Kind rates, it’s a whopping £7,000 more expensive than the self-charging hybrid - so it’s not worth it if you’re buying or financing privately.

Bear in mind also that the top-spec GT Premium PHEV costs more than £40,000, so is liable to pay the expensive car supplement on years two-six of road tax. The all-electric E-408 is a better bet if you want to go electrified.

Peugeot 408 Euro NCAP score (2022): 4/5

Adult occupant: 76%
Child occupant: 84%
Vulnerable road users: 78%
Safety assist: 65%

Standard safety kit includes post collision safety brake, lane keep assist and automatic emergency braking. Step up to Allure Premium and you also get the Drive Assist Pack, which adds rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and long range blind spot monitoring.

The Peugeot 408 has been safety tested by Euro NCAP and, perhaps disappointingly, scored four-out-of-five stars. It received 76% for adult occupant protection, where you’d expect most cars to achieve over 80% at the very least. Child occupant safety scored 84%, which is better, but it was marked down further for its safety assist systems at 65%. However, the testing organisation does note that while some additional testing was done for the 408, its score is mostly based on the ‘closely related’ Peugeot 308.

Peugeot ranked an impressive seventh out of 30 brands in the latest Driver Power survey, though scores for reliability were poorer than in other categories. However it indicates impressive owner satisfaction, and though the 408 itself did not receive enough responses the larger and mechanically similar 3008 was rated as one of the top 10 cars.

The 408 uses engines and mechanicals that are similar to other Peugeot, Citroen and Vauxhall models, so everything's well-proven. Warranty cover is only average, though - you get more cover with a Toyota C-HR, provided you keep up with servicing.