An EXCELLENT car, but WHO will buy it?! 2024 Peugeot 408 PHEV review

[@Chairschairschairschairs]

That colour is GORGEOUS!

[@peterhess6039]

I bought one - one of the best cars I’ve ever bought

[@therightcar]

Amazing!

[@fiery1962]

@@therightcar Can't wait to pick up mine.

[@conradbo1]

I also find Peugeot cars so beautiful. Thanks for a great and informative review.

[@therightcar]

Thanks mate!

[@JeremyCarrington-ve5yp]

I don't like the pretend SUVness of the 408 (and so many other car brands), and while I don't mind the liftback idea, I'm sad that it doesn't more closely follow the shape of the 508 hatchback with regard to the shape of the rear end. Better than both 408 and 508 "hatchbacks" though are the 308 and 508 wagons (IMHO, of course). Sadly Peugeot Australia decided to bring in only Hatch 308s in PHEV models, so I now own a 308 hatch PHEV. The 408's front end is prettier, with body-colour-on-black and sunray pattern grill compared to my silver-on-black, horizontal grill, so I might need to swap out my 308 grill for a 408 grill one day soon! Inside, I don't get excited about leather seats. Give me good old fabric seats in preference to leather any day, but Peugeot's iCockpit is a masterpiece, and their integrated touchscreens are so much more aesthetically pleasing (again IMHO) than those horrendous "tablet" frankenmonster screens on so many other vehicles of now! (I'm only 5'7" tall... How short do people need to be to have trouble with the iCockpit?)...

[@mvnorsel6354]

I like the colour, perfect for a photo down at the beach.

[@therightcar]

So long as it doesn’t get lost in the wash!

[@standupmoto]

Nice review Matt👍

[@therightcar]

Thanks mate!

[@nikc1313]

Currently driving an e208 and my 408 gets delivered early next month. Went with GT spec in the cool industrial grey colour. Its been a terrible seller here in the UK so they are giving them away on lease deals. Unfortunately i changed job and now have a very short commute so could only justify going for the weedy 130hp 1.2 petrol. For a land yacht like this i worry its gonna struggle.

[@edwardlloyd1516]

I have eactly that model. Plenty of power for the UK. Just switch to Sport before attempting any dramatic overtaking and the gearbox will really wake up. I also got a give-away lease deal and love it.

[@fazilozmen5982]

I am driving 1.2 130 GT for more than a year now and very happy with its performance.

[@TheStagswag]

70k+ is a rough ask

[@sjb2471]

Yes and no; we live in a world where a Golf starts at $40k and a Camry stretches to close to $60 grand.

[@TheStagswag]

​@sjb2471 Peugeot isn't popular in Australia, a 60k 2025 SL camry is going to retain more value than this car and will sell more quickly than this on the used car market. Part availability is miles ahead of Peugeot as well.

[@fiery1962]

@@TheStagswag But it's a Camry. Test drive one. Outdated. Unimpressed.

[@TheStagswag]

@fiery1962 the 2025 SL isn't outdated bot

[@JeremyCarrington-ve5yp]

@@fiery1962 That old saying that goes... "Life is too short to drive boring cars"... Consequently, I have never bought a Toyota (or Ford for that matter) of any size or shape, and I don't see that changing.

[@danwhite7264]

I love our 2008.

[@therightcar]

It’s a great car!

[@Bman1878]

Not a fan of these genre blending crossover things - but I do love Peugeots general styling these days in the 508 and 308. My big complaint is they just felt so gutless to me to drive

[@JimboSRP]

Looks like an interesting car, thanks for the review! Personally, I'd buy a Peugeot in a heartbeat - I don't have ATF (Australian Toyota Fixation) - but the price is the killer for me.

[@vn9528]

I like their cars. But do they sell well here? Pricing seems to be very bold. Thanks for bringing it to our notice.

[@therightcar]

Thanks 🙏 Yep, it is a bit high, but all of their models seem a bit too rich.

[@rotoehu9266]

Unfortunately in Australia at least, depreciation makes owning a Peugeot a financial disaster. This car (based on past and current residuals) will likely depreciate over 50% in the first 2 years (wholesale) - for this model that’s ~$1200/month in depreciation…. Perhaps numbers look better on a novated lease, but remember you have to pay the residual at the end not just hand it back.

[@therightcar]

A real shame, that. Good for the next owner!

[@danpmaher]

On this flip side , does this mean buying 2 year old Peueots represents incredible value ?

[@Juan_theCook]

Such a beautiful car that looks like it came out of the Transformers movie. I'd buy this if I live in Europe. But here in Australasia I personally prefer to buy from our neighbours

[@fazilozmen5982]

In Turkey we have more options at GT trimline

[@fiery1962]

Put the money down and signed up and bought one. ETA this December (September 2024 build).

[@therightcar]

You’re getting a VERY cool car. Congrats!!

[@fiery1962]

@@therightcar Thank you. I'll advise further once I take possession in Dec. '24. It's Obsession Blue w/ sunroof.

[@AnthonyWilson-mm8rn]

Peugeot is a good brand but handled poorly in Australia. Years ago they sold in decent numbers (up to 9000 sales) but they seemed to be priced too high and then discounted when they do not sell. We have had a couples and both have been flawless and great to drive. It is just a pity most will not consider. Renault seems to have more success here

[@therightcar]

Thanks - yep, I remember the heady days of decent sales from the brand (ironically when the cars were nowhere near as good as they are today).

[@Richard-sl8we]

A big problem in my opinion is that Peugeot is now owned by Stellantis.

[@tochukwuezinwa2122]

The BYD is an interesting car I guess good around but the 408 look is to die for, impressive Peugeot I'll buy it for the look

[@therightcar]

Nice! It is a stunner, I reckon.

[@akasyapinarcicegi]

Just ordered the NEW e408 GT

[@drivingparadox]

Beautiful exterior and interior, quite striking. Don’t like the wheels. With some manufactures closing dedicated dealerships and service centres and more ‘shared’ third party dealers, is prepaying for fine years of servicing wise?

[@therightcar]

Under Consumer Law the brand has to honour those agreements if they leave but the Holden experience (in the post-Holden era) hasn’t been great according to some owners.

[@tadeusz1504]

You have not mentioned the 3008 PHEV sibling as an alternative. Everyone seems to be so shy of talking about them. The 408 is too long for getting in and out of my garage, 4.6m is my limit. One major omission for a $70k car is no seat ventilation. I've liked the PHEV idea for a while now but I think I'm going Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage hybrid to keep my buttock cool.

[@therightcar]

Ah, okay. You need a bigger garage. But also, yes, 3008 is good. It just isn't $70K worth of good.

[@davidfarrell8451]

That's a very good looking car.

[@MithunOnTheNet]

Beautiful car!

[@JayG0o]

Wow, they reinvented the wheel

[@fiery1962]

I've test driven an example exactly like the once shown. The "Monolithe" wheels look stunning when you see them, both static and when moving. The steering wheel is beautiful to hold.

[@MarkoNovak-wr3qp]

With a head like yours, i would not dare stand infront of camera

[@therightcar]

I guess I’m supposed to be offended? I’m not.

[@alfstewart22]

I think the Sealion is the only obvious choice.

[@therightcar]

It seems a very good alternative.

[@alexanderchiang6801]

really cool and stunning but it is soooo expensive......

[@therightcar]

Yeah, a $48,990 price would make it WAY more enticing.

[@vn9528]

May they have to BOOK an entire ship for one or two deliveries in Australia.

[@buncha5651]

A Plug in hybrid Peugeot with no spare wheel and around $70,000 not for me. I can think of many really good vehicles for $70,000.

[@ETERNITY777]

🤪🤪 I CAN AFFORD IT IF I USE MY AFTERPAY ?????🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@therightcar]

Hahahaha try it!

[@ETERNITY777]

@@therightcar 🤑 I SHALL 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

[@sydryan9589]

That steering wheel visibility is a deal breaker

[@therightcar]

I understand.

[@stevenswann2835]

Who will buy it? Not me. I quite like being able to see the instruments. Tried their i-cockpit and it's impossible to use for me. Such a lunatic design decision - tried to fix a problem which doesn't exist and in the process created a huge deal-breaker for many people. How to instantly reduce your pool of potential buyers. Good job, Peugeot.

[@therightcar]

Haha wow. 😯

[@pastorofmuppets8834]

Fix a problem that doesn't exist? Tell that to all the manufacturers (i.e. all) who have installed HUDs on their dashboards 😂

[@gregrobins5615]

How is it impossible, do you drive with the steering wheel up around your ears ? It's a brilliant set up, one million sales a year tells us that.

[@topher.m]

You weren't going to buy it anyway, Steven.

[@fiery1962]

@@topher.m I test drove the demo 408 GT and LOVED the driving position and steering wheel placement. I'm 180 cm tall. I can see that height challenged people could struggle with it.

[@sidjyothi]

Who buys a peugeot here? Check their sales numbers. Laughable.

[@therightcar]

Yeah, they’re not Toyota… or even Toyota’s worst-selling model.

[@pastorofmuppets8834]

Laughable sales, but some of the best cars you can buy. Up there in reliability now for several years in all the reliability surveys in Europe. Just never advertised well and prices keep going up. Probably 20 years ago they had similar prices and model range to VW and did ok. I believe the company that imports them have, for some reason, reasons to under sell them.

[@thatdamnspammer]

Who buys a Ranger in Europe?

[@thatdamnspammer]

Who buys a Ford Ranger as a family car in Europe? Laughable.

[@gregrobins5615]

Says more about ignorant Australians than it does Peugeot. That's why they sell in around 160 countries worldwide.

[@SrdjanPoznanovic]

PUG 408 in Australia 😳 ??? You have PUG in Au 😧 ??? I know it's yours car market is is totally different of ours in EU, just like US market, different branding, different engines...I'm realy supprise for PSA group in AU 🤷

[@therightcar]

Peugeot and Citroen have been in Australia for decades. I think Citroen is approaching 100 years in Australia, in fact!!

[@fatdoi003]

no wonder EU is scared of chinese cars... this is one great example

[@gordonclark7632]

The fact that it is French is the deal breaker for me.

[@AnthonyWilson-mm8rn]

Why?

[@gregrobins5615]

Given that the French literally helped invent the automobile, your point is typically ignorant.

[@gordonclark7632]

@@AnthonyWilson-mm8rn Rainbow Warrior. I have a long memory.

[@fiery1962]

@@gordonclark7632 Peugeot have been making cars since the 1870's. They know how to do it.

[@gtpete6363]

Too many Aussies have ben burnt by Peugeot's notorius unrelaibility.... these traumas stick in your mind!

[@therightcar]

That’s a shame. I’m sure there are a few brands under that cloud.

[@gregrobins5615]

What rubbish ! Australians are the problem, not Peugeot. Ignorant and always so behind the world when it comes to automotive knowledge.

[@fiery1962]

@@therightcar Back in the day the Aussie assembled 404's and 504's were bywords for reliability.

[@iabaca]

Average mans lamborghini urus. My next car in 5 years

[@drivingparadox]

Autoexpert told me not to buy them 😂 😊

[@ubernoob103]

Who will buy it? No one.

[@johnwardle119]

Me. I love it.

[@ubernoob103]

@@johnwardle119 i genuinely hope you enjoy it. It is a gorgeous car. Assuming youre aussie, unfortunately you represent the 0.0006% of the population that are into french cars.

[@sjb2471]

@@ubernoob103iKR? Could we be a bunch of more boring, uninspired sheep??

[@tonyb3629]

Fugly inside and out. Holy cow though - the price, for a Pug! Just what is going on...

[@jackheid5083]

That is such an ugly car. Colour is great and the exterior isn't too bad. The issue is the interior. For that price I wouldn't even bother.

[@billsingh75]

Who designed this ugly interior 😡😡😡😡

[@fiery1962]

It's a personal thing. Took one for a test drive and thought it very well set out. The graphics really pop and overall it oozes French chic. The doors close like an autoclave, and are Mercedes Benz like.

[@sjb2471]

Hilariously, PSA own Faurecia, the interior component company that supplies much of the interiors of….just about every other car brand there is!

[@sheyone9075]

Nice car, but I will choose Citroen C5X. Both car are on same platform.

[@fiery1962]

Citroen has exited Aussie ...