Peugeot 508 Turbo 1.6 Allure Review: Leaping forward

What we like:

Classy and sophisticated styling

well-equipped package

composed dynamics

excellent ride

What we dislike:

Silly head-up display

can do with more poke

can do with additional rear legroom

The 508’s cabin feels more Germanic than French. As you probably know by now, the French has a bad habit of using brittle plastics and low quality materials and switchgear for its cabin more often than not, but not so contemporary Peugeot models like the 508. The 508’s cabin is especially commendable on the quality front thanks to its mostly soft touch surfaces, which in turn increases perceived quality and luxury.

Up front, the driver is greeted by a new multi-function three-spoke steering wheel (that somehow looks like a Skoda’s). The wheel itself features a myriad of buttons for the cruise control and stereo – seems that Peugeot has finally abandoned the old style steering column mounted stereo controls that are so loved by the French. The instrument panel features an additional dial for oil temperature in addition to the usual. The generously sized multi-function display sits in between the two chrome ringed primary dials – it certainly looks very classy. The front seats not only look plush but they are comfortable and supportive as well. The driving position is hard to fault thanks to the highly adjustable seat and steering column as well as the well-placed foot pedals.

A big let down is the miniscule display for the stereo on the centre of the dash. As local cars don’t come with sat nav, the screen isn’t a full sized one to fill the space between the two central air vents on the dash. Instead the 508 gets the same small LCD screen that lesser models like the 308 use. Some of the switchgear is also illogically placed – like the auto headlights switch next to the gear lever and the switch for the head up display. The latter is hidden away on the right of the steering column. The Allure model comes with a head up display that instead of projecting the info on the windscreen like the Germans do, the Pug’s is projected on a small screen that automatically rises and retracts on top of the dashboard which isn’t exactly ideal to look at while driving.

At the rear, the 508 offers slightly less knee room than say, a Passat but it’s more than enough to keep most passengers happy. Moreover, rear occupants will be spoilt by the four-zone climate control and rear air con vents on the Allure model tested here. The 508’s boot is not that huge either. It is well shaped, but it’s just not deep and long enough. The trunk area also suffers from some wheel arch intrusions. Thankfully though, the rear seat backs split/fold if required. Interestingly, the boot is opened from the outside by pressing the ‘0’ on the 508 badge at the rear – a trend Peugeot started with the 607.

Thanks to the recent significant differences between Cat A and Cat B COE prices (roughly $20k at the time of writing), the Cat A 508 has a distinct price advantage over obvious rivals like the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo. The 508 doesn’t shine in any particular area but its all round capabilities and distinct Gallic style and character should banish any of the poor image that large French saloon models previously had.

Credits: Story and photos by Raymond Lai