Peugeot 508 :The new large Peugeot will come with a range of six engines

The new large Peugeot will come with a range of six engines, including naturally-aspirated and turbocharged versions of the 1.6-litre petrol unit, but it's the four diesels which are of most interest.

There's also a two-litre diesel, producing 140bhp with manual transmission or 163bhp if linked to an automatic gearbox, but the most significant unit of them all is the 112bhp 1.6 HDi. Air intakes create drag, and by closing them when they're not needed Peugeot has been able to improve the key "green" figures to 56.0mpg and 109g/km.


'We are still selling the same number of cars, but in different parts of the world,' says Vincent Rambeaud, head of Peugeot.

The Peugeot 508 will be made and sold in China from next autumn, six months after French-built versions go on sale in Europe. More than 90% of the increase is in the wheelbase to improve rear legroom – chauffeur-driven cars are hugely important in China – but boot space has also improved thanks to a longer rear overhang. Greener for Europe
European requirements are as much to the fore in the Peugeot 508 as the demands of the Chinese market, however. Other engines are a 112bhp 1.6-litre diesel, including an e-HDi version with next-generation stop-start; 140bhp and 163bhp 2.0-litre diesels; and 120bhp and 156bhp 1.6-litre petrol units.

In autumn 2011, a diesel hybrid system – using the 163bhp HDi engine to drive the front wheels and a 37bhp electric motor to power the rears – will be added to the range. The 508 is the first production car to feature Peugeot 508 new design language, which features a floating grille instead of the gaping mouth of the previous-generation cars.

Rapid, efficient and silent, e-HDi combines reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (up to -15% in town) with maximum driveability. It is mated with the 1.6 litre HDi FAP engine coupled with the electronically-controlled 6-speed manual gearbox so that a maximum number of customers can benefit from the lowest possible fuel consumption.

New 2.2 litre HDi FAP 6-speed automatic gearbox: Powerful, lively and fuel efficient

A new 2.2 litre HDi FAP 204bhp engine, with a maximum torque of 450Nm from 2000rpm tops the 508 range in a ‘GT’ version, and features a special suspension set-up.