Peugeot 408 GT Hybrid 225e review

Peugeot 408 PHEV

Peugeot 408 GT Hybrid 225e review.

*** out of five.
For – stylish, well-equipped, handles and rides well. 
Against – poor battery range.
£48,025
Competition – Mercedes GLA, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Hyundai Santa FE, Toyota RAV4,  Cupra Formentor, Range Rover Evoque, Suzuki Across

“On a roll through the Sussex countryside the regenerative braking showed itself to be super-efficient”

The Peugeot 408 looks terrific, drives well and oozes quality, but as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), it doesn’t really cut the mustard.

Peugeot says the car has a fastback silhouette, and then some.

“This new age Peugeot combines a unique design and feline stance with engineering excellence focused on efficiency and intelligent electrification, with cutting edge technologies dedicated to creating an instinctive driving experience,” says Peugeot.

That may well be, but the specification promises a 40-mile electric-only range, but I managed to charge the battery to an average of only 24.2 miles. That’s a huge shortfall and makes me wonder, again, just how the EU regulators allow the manufacturers to come up with this misleading information.

Even though I never managed to put more than 27 miles into the battery from my home charger, (and the weather was mild) there were some impressive aspects to the electric system. On a roll through the Sussex countryside in conditions perfect for an electric car, the regenerative braking showed itself to be super-efficient. 

On one stretch which removed 24 miles from the claimed range, the car had actually travelled 29 miles. But even if that became typical, this kind of range compares poorly with the likes of the Suzuki Across/Toyota RAV4 which promised about 45 miles but regularly returned close to 50 miles. And the price of the Suzuki SUV is very close to this Peugeot.

Ridiculously high 
Peugeot claims overall fuel consumption of 211.3 mpg, which is ridiculously high. I managed 96.8 mpg. But both these figures are ridiculous because they bear no relationship with reality. If I owned this PHEV, even if the battery truly only managed 24.2 mpg, my personal usage would mean I would almost never buy any petrol at all. Many drivers will manage the same, particularly if they have a charger at work.

This top-of-the-range version has the more powerful 180 hp petrol engine coupled with the 81-kW electric motor and it performs very well, as you can see from the following data box. The handling is impressive, and I loved the small steering wheel which for some reason I can’t really explain induces a comfortable, in-control vibe. Maybe it’s the instant feed-back making you feel your mistakes will be forgiven. Once you’ve settled into the cockpit, you select “electric”, “hybrid” or “sport” (meaning petrol engine only) from the dashboard option. I always began with “electric” and moved the gear selector through D to B (not R) for regenerative braking or one-pedal driving. The cheaper plug-in hybrid has a 150 hp petrol engine to go with the 81-kW electric motor. There’s also a 130 hp petrol version, which doesn’t promise much in the way of performance. 

Safety enhancement gizmos
The boot is huge. There’s loads-a-room in the back. The suspension seemed a bit thumpy and noisy; or was that just Britain’s 3^rd world potholed roads? It claims just about every safety enhancement gizmo you’ve ever heard of, and a few you possibly haven’t. Later this year a level 2 driver assistance package will be available to switch on when you hit a dual carriageway. If this simply means the car’s computer takes over, but you must be ready to intervene in an emergency, I’d advise rejecting that. Surely in an emergency, the time taken for the driver to realize intervention is required and actually intervening sounds like a guarantee for an accident.

Peugeot says you can recharge this battery from home without having to buy an expensive, maybe £750, 7.4 kW charger. Using a standard 3-pin domestic plug it will charge fully in 7-1/2 hours. With the 7.4kW charge this takes about 2 hours. 

What to buy?
Most of the competition comes from SUVs in this category, but as Peugeot suggests, this 408 – is it a coupe, an estate car, an SUV? – is very versatile, that seems fair enough. My favorite in this sector remains the Suzuki Across, which thanks to its collaboration with Toyota, has class equalling-quality, plus terrific battery range. It’s a shame the EU powers-that-be have banned PHEVs from 2035. The U.K. ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 allows hybrids and PHEVs some leeway though. The politicians that pushed this ludicrous idea that they know better than engineers, and in 10 years timer electric power will be perfect in every way will leave behind them a trail of mayhem when their folly is held to account. Trouble is, the perpetrators will be long gone into retirement and won’t have to face the music. Are you listening Boris?  

Peugeot 408 PHEV