Peugeot: the 408 continues a range which began 90 years ago

Primrose Hill Farm is on the edge of the Cotswolds, eight miles north of Banbury. Its livestock business has diversified into B&B, weddings and so on, moving and adapting with the times, augmenting money from sheep and cattle It has its own first class kitchen and a function room which looks across an arable plain to Cannock Chase and the Malvern Hills. Peugeot visited for a few days to show its striking new car, the 408. It continues a range which began 90 years ago, writes Frederic Manby.

A large white Peugeot sign dominated the farm lawn. Inside, a full-size resin model of a lion added to the message. It has been the factory logo since 1810, marking the strength and bite of the saws and the iron grip of the tools it made in north eastern France. Car production began in 1882, making it the oldest existing carmaker. Outside, some cars are connected to electric chargers. These are plug-in hybrid versions of the 408. Others have a conventional small petrol engine. A fully electric 408 is in the plan.

408 shares some components with Citroën’s C5 X (both are key parts of the global Stellantis Group which includes Vauxhall). Apparently no body panels are shared but looking at the two cars there’s a similarity in the rakish side profile. The 408 has the sexier face, almost taking your breath away with its glare. Citroën’s face is more like a thin smile. Both are roomy, with a sloping rear hatchback, front-drive, some different manners. Citroën uses softer cushioned suspension and seats. Peugeot uses stiffer suspension.

There are three trim levels: Allure, Allure Premium and GT and a choice from a 1.2 litre three cylinder 130hp petrol turbo engine, and a 1.6 litre hybrid in 180hp and 225hp tune. Only the Premium and GT models have the 225 engine. Both PHEV units have an 81kw electric motor, giving an optimum electric range of 40 miles. The low CO2 ratings give low BIK business tax of just eight per cent, compared with 32 per cent for the 130hp petrol model. Eight speed automatic gearboxes are standard.Prices open at £31,050 for the Allure 130 and then £32,175 in Premium specification and £34,650 for the GT. There is a jump of more than £7,000 to the 180 PHEV and a further £1,400 to the 225 PHEV, reaching £43,200 for the 225 in GT trim. A First Edition 225 is £45,000 and has 12pc BIK tax.

All have a reversing camera, alloys, navigation. The Allure Premium has extra active safety help, including an alert for rear crossing traffic, a forward video camera with radar and rear blind spot detection up to 82 yards and keyless entry and ignition. There is the option of night vision, with a range of 218 yards, which is beyond the scope of the headlamps. In the centre of all the grille is a lion's head shield covering the radar for the onboard safety systems. It is made of indium metal which allows radar to pass through.

On offer at Primrose Hill Farm were the 130hp and 225hp models. The 130 model was slower and thirstier but quite satisfactory and much more affordable. It is rated at up to 48mpg and 136g/km of CO2. The 0-62mph time is 10.4 seconds. It weighs 1392kg and will tow 1200kg. The first year road tax is £230 then £165. In Allure Premium trim it costs £32,175. The 225 GT trim cost £44,700 before extras, It is rated between 211 and 269 mpg and 26g/km CO2. The 0-62mph time is 7.8 seconds. It weighs 1706kg and can tow 1400kg. The GT has 3D screen technology which allows things like satellite navigation instructions to stand proud of the other details on the screen. It makes them easier to read. A 3-pin plug will charge its battery from empty to full in five and a half hours. A 7.4kWh wallbox takes a hundred minutes.

It is the company’s first new model name since the RCZ coupe in 2010 - an attractive idea but a niche seller here. The 407 went off the market in 2011. It was sold with saloon, coupe and estate car bodies. Since then, Peugeot has been occupied with people carriers and SUV-types and its popular hatchbacks. The 208 is the best-selling car in Europe. Time for a tilt upmarket, with this 408. It is hard to miss, with some nifty detail styling deviations and rather a lot of textured plastic applied at the front corners and around the back.

On the same routes, mostly flat, not too briskly driven, we recorded a happy 44mpg in the Allure Premium 130 and 57mpg in the GT 225 hybrid. The 130 needs pushing if you want to go faster. The hybrid didn’t feel quick for a 225 horse power car, hampered by its greater weight. The BIK will please companies but the slower and cheaper 130 model should appeal to the rest of us. Whatever the power unit chosen, there is just the one body shape, and no plans for another, says Peugeot. Citroën offers its C5 X with an Aircross SUV body.

Verdict: Alluring. Stunnng front.

Peugeot 408

It is: Five-door liftback, delayed successor the 407. Made in Mulhouse.

Economy ratings: Petrol 130 up to 48mpg. PHEV 225 up to 269mpg with a charged battery. We got 44mpg and 57mpg.

Time to 62mph: 10.4 seconds, 7.8 seconds respectively. (8.1 seconds for the 180 PHEV).

Power: 128bhp and 222bhp for the PHEV.

Length:184 inches 4.7m.

Prices: ££31,050 to £45,000.

Lineage: The 400 series dates from 1934 with the 401. In the NBC TV detective series, Lt. Columbo drove a rare 1959 403 cabriolet.

Or: Try the Citroën.