Peugeot has revealed an updated and restyled version of its good-looking 508 fastback and SW estate, with a reworked front-end and a new plug-in hybrid option in the range.
Sizeable nose job
While the rear-end has seen some small styling tweaks, it's at the front where the bulk of the work has taken place. With a new grille and lighting arrangement, the new Peugeot lion emblem takes pride of place in the centre of the grille, covering all the sensors governing the safety and driver assistance systems. That grille has been integrated into the lower bumper and either side of it while below the new LED matrix headlamps are a set of "claw-like" daytime running lights, a design cue repeated at the rear with the new taillights. A new five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheel option has also been added to the range.
The arrival of the facelifted 508 also means styling changes to the high-end Peugeot Sport Engineered (PSE) versions of the model. The performance-focused plug-in hybrid gets largely the same treatment as its lowlier siblings, but with a slightly different grille mixing both glossy and textured black surfaces.
Subtle interior tweaks
The biggest alterations to the 508's cabin are the newly redesigned centre console housing the automatic gear selector and the installation of a new, more user-friendly operating system run on the 10.0-inch central infotainment screen. Beyond those, the cabin is much the same as on the current model, with the same 12.0-inch driver's instrument cluster and high level of spec. The optional electronically adjustable seats feature two memory settings as before as well as a pneumatic massage function, although three of the eight massage programs are new. There are a couple of new upholstery options as well.
Although Irish specifications have yet to be confirmed, it is expected that standard equipment levels will remain high, including features such as HD parking cameras, adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance and infrared night vision for detecting people or animals in the road after dark or in poor visibility.
New plug-in option
Under the bonnet, the 508 is more or less the same as it was except for the addition of a new plug-in hybrid option. There are now three plug-in 508 models, all with 12.4kWh battery packs. The new one combining a 150hp petrol engine with a 81kW electric motor to develop up to 180hp, a 225hp model as before and the top-of-the-line, all-wheel-drive 360hp PSE.
As well as the hybrids there are still petrol and diesel options from which to choose with a 130hp 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel with the same maximum power output. All models are equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard.
The facelifted Peugeot 508 is expected to go on sale in the summer, with Irish pricing still to be confirmed.