Long-term report: Is the Peugeot 408 plug-in hybrid the ideal daily driver

If you say you drive a Peugeot, you get the most mixed reactions of any car firm. The snobs (wrongly) turn their noses up, though many say ‘Oh, they look nice these days don’t they?’.

I’m firmly in the latter camp and have admired Peugeot’s range of cars for some time. Ever since it started heading upmarket a few years ago, its models have gone from strength to strength.

From the compact 208 supermini to the seven-seat 5008 SUV, it produces some remarkably well-rounded and stylish products. And now I’ve got the keys to Peugeot’s latest car – the 408 – for the next three months. It’s the French firm’s first ‘all new’ car (as in, it doesn’t have a predecessor) in 14 years, the last being the RCZ sports car.

I’ve driven the 408 a couple of times briefly already, and even after having ‘mine’ for nearly a month, I’m still struggling to pigeonhole it. It’s not a saloon, but more of a hatchback, yet with SUV styling cues and the ride height of a crossover. You can either compare it with large hatchbacks like the Skoda Superb, or with coupe SUVs like the Audi Q3 Sportback. The official Peugeot line is that it’s a fastback, and one that slots between the brand’s 308 and 508.

But whatever it is, the 408 certainly stands out. It’s a fairly big, long car, and though you sit higher up than those other two Peugeots, despite the chunky cladding, it never really looks like an SUV. It certainly stands out, helped by the fact it doesn’t really look like anything else, while the colour-coded grille and ‘Claw’ headlights mean I’ve had a few people asking questions about it already.

The car here is the mid-spec Allure Premium version, with the range-topping 225 plug-in hybrid engine. This pairs a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined 222bhp. With the battery charged, 0-60mph takes 7.6 seconds.

Peugeot claims 40 electric miles is possible, but I’m finding 25 to 30 miles far more realistic. As long as the battery is charged, it always defaults to start in ‘electric’ mode, though you can put it in hybrid or sport if you want the engine to come into play.

All 408s come with climate control, Peugeot’s new 10-inch touchscreen with shortcut ‘touch buttons’, a reversing camera and the brilliant configurable i-Cockpit digital instrument cluster. The mid-spec Allure Premium trim here brings a range of useful driver assistance tech, such as adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring, along with big 19-inch alloy wheels and keyless entry.

There are only three options on KS72 MXP – a 7.4kW onboard charger (£400), Peugeot Connect SOS (£140) and Pearl White paint (£850).
These bring the price of this car up to £43,375, which is quite a lot of money I reckon. At this price, I believe there should be a few more features included too, the main ones being a heated steering wheel and wireless smartphone charging. I also think heated seats should be included at this price, but if you want those, you’ve got to have them as part of an expensive £1,100 heated and massaging seat pack.

In the first month of the 408, I’ve clocked up well in excess of 1,000 miles, predominantly on the motorway. Even on the fairly large 19-inch alloy wheels, the ride is exceptional. It’s one of the most comfortable long-termers I’ve ever had. It doesn’t float all over the place but remains supple and refined at speed.

There’s plenty more lined up during my time with the 408, including testing its electric-running ability, as well as its practicality. Safe to say I’m looking forward to my time with it.