Peugeot 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered

The formation of the new Peugeot SPORT marque gave birth to the ultimate 508 ever created, the 508 PEUGEOT SPORT ENGINEERED. With its sport-tuned dynamics, PHEV powertrain, and aggressive styling, this is what the 508 has been missing the whole time.

2021 Peugeot 508 PSE

2021 Peugeot 508 SW PSE

With prices starting at 67,100 Euros plus additional costs, the first-ever 508 PSE is more costly to own than the Volkswagen Arteon R, but on the upside, it's cheaper to own than the BMW M3, making this the bargain high-performance saloon of the year, but it's not really a bargain high-performance car because, as I said, it's more expensive than the hot Arteon I've mentioned a few seconds ago.

Anyway, the styling. At first glance, it looks just like the normal, second-generation, Peugeot 508, in sedan and SW variants, but the PSE variant gave both of these body styles some juice. It features a dark front grille, yellow-green accented signature front bumper, yellow-green brake calipers similar to the Subaru WRX STi, new rear bumpers, and dark-colored 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires to match its personality. With its dark-themed styling, the 508 PSE is what happens when a businessman's car has gone after hours.

The interior works and feels just like the normal 508 and the i-Cockpit still works as every new Peugeot should. It's still as spacious as the normal 508, of course, and with the SW variant, it can carry loads of stuff whether for business or for pleasure.

The highlight of the 508 PSE is its performance and this is the kind of performance Asian medium-sized cars should learn from them. Powered by a 1.6L turbocharged engine connected to two electric motors and mated to an e-EAT8 gearbox, it generates a total power output of 360PS of power and 520Nm of torque, sprinting from 0-100kph in 5.2 seconds and an electronically-governed top speed of 255kph. Not as fast as the Arteon R but with that kind of performance numbers, the 508 PSE is a French high-performance super saloon that wants to equate with Germany's finest. As for fuel efficiency, it's a surprising 2L/100km on the WLTP scale. That's 50kmpl if you do the math.

Driving on electric power only, it has a range of 42km, and like most PHEVs, the 508 PSE's batteries can be charged but, depending on which charging point you're on, it will take almost half a day to recharge its batteries that supplement the two electric motors.

Because it has two electric motors on both sides, the 508 PSE is a four-wheel-drive vehicle, making it suitable for a chilling trip to Val Thorens on a holiday without making a ruckus. Aside from that, the 508 PSE, thanks to Peugeot's motorsports know-how, features sport-tuned dynamics underneath, making it capable of toying around the corners of Paul Ricard like it's its first try, although the digital engine sound mapping idea is cheesy, by the way.

You can play with it all day while trying to embarrass every Asian-made midsized executive car in its size, wishing that one day, they'll be as cool as this lion, but this is the real world, and although the sporty dynamics can upset a Regular Joe driving on normal day-to-day traffic, the 508 PSE features a wide range of ADAS just like the normal 508, and such safety features are worth noticeable.

The dismal charging times and the safety features not friendly to speedo boys behind the wheel are the downsides of the 508 PSE, but with the performance and styling that made a big impression, the 508 PSE is the high-performance Peugeot saloon they have been waiting for and looks like the Germans are on heightened alert.

Photo: Peugeot