Not only that, but the infotainment system won’t drive you to distraction any more. New i-Connect Advanced software brings a more responsive screen, better graphics and – crucially – a much more logical menu layout with a homepage containing up to 10 configurable shortcuts. It really is a huge improvement over the dated system in the pre-facelift 508, and you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too.
The interior still looks great, as well: complete with flashes of ‘Kryptonite’ stitching, it’s modern and classy, albeit a way short of the obvious German rivals for perceived quality.
There’s plenty of space in the 508 PSE SW to serve as parental taxi, too, including 530 litres of boot space despite the hybrid powertrain. That’s more than the 330e Touring, and the 508 also matches the BMW’s CO2 figures and WLTP pure electric range of 34 miles.
But (and you knew there was a massive one of those coming…) while the 508 has an undeniable appeal in the way it looks and the way it bludgeons its way down the road, it remains frustratingly difficult to justify. After all, the saloon costs nearly £54k, and the SW over £55k, meaning that, shockingly, a BMW 330e xDrive M Sport Touring is more than £4000 cheaper than this 508 PSE SW, even though it is has better handling, better interior materials, better infotainment… You get the picture. Peugeot has long been moving itself more upmarket, but it may have overestimated itself with this one.
