Originally in the Czech Republic, the Peugeot 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered, as the full name of this car sounds, shouldn’t have been. It is still missing on the official website and in promotional materials, but it can be ordered individually through authorized dealers.
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However, the quotas for the Czech market are very small, in other words, in reality, the production slot is expected to be released.
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For 1.7 million crowns, you can have a liftback or station wagon with a very interesting system performance, with which, however, even longer city routes can be run only on electricity. Thanks to this, he also earned the EL electric car brand, and thus, for example, free parking in Prague zones.
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Does it seem like a dull introduction to the test of a middle-class sports model? I do this because this car raises your heart rate significantly less than you would expect at first glance. Whether you take it as an advantage or not …
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Ailerons wherever you look
At first glance, it is clear that exactly after such a final tuning, even such a beautiful 508 called. 20-inch wheels, luminous brake calipers, pearlescent gray paint and ubiquitous aerodynamic elements are a decent but easily recognizable factory tuning.
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Peugeot 508 PES
The PSE version also differs in the radiator grille or Peugeot Sport logos. The aforementioned ailerons on the front and rear bumpers and in front of the rear wheels are easy to hit in city traffic, but you can feel motorsport from them. And you may feel even better when Peugeot Sport reappears at Le Mans next year with this new logo.
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Peugeot 508 PES
Peugeot 508 PES
It also got bright green in the interior, either in the graphics of the devices or as the embroidery of the seats or the dashboard. Anyone who would expect sports seats or a steering wheel will be disappointed, no matter how standard the seats hold the body, it is not enough for a really sharp ride.
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The concept of the i-cockpit, ie the display above the small steering wheel, does not bother me for a long time and I claim that if the driver does not have a very short fuselage, he will find a good driving position easily. In addition, the classic 508 already sits relatively low, so no adjustments in this sense were needed.
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Peugeot 508 PES
Thanks to the fact that the standard 508 already has an interior composed of high-quality and well-matched materials, it does not look out of place even at this price level, until the luxurious atmosphere is completed by real wooden decors.
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I would just like to be more different from the version with such a strong power jump, but I’m slowly getting to the question of what this car really wants to be …
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Speed and calm
The three-liter six-cylinder and two-liter four-cylinder ended with the era of supercharged petrol engines at Peugeot. The most juicy one, with even semi-racing parts, could be enjoyed by an enthusiastic driver in a Peugeot RCZ R or 308 GTi.
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It was the lower middle-class cars that the 275 horses were rich enough a few years ago. However, now that Peugeot wanted to build something really strong a class higher, moreover in an even more tied-up era, it had to help itself with electricity.
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With a system output of 265 kW, 360 hp and 520 Nm of torque, the 508 PSE was completed thanks to a plug-in hybrid system.
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It combines a supercharged petrol sixteen in the currently medium power version with 147 kW, 200 hp, and two electric motors. The front has 81 kW, the rear is 2 kW more powerful, so it is a car with all-wheel drive.
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In the sharpest mode, it can accelerate from zero to 100 km / h in 5.2 seconds, from 80 to 120 km / h accelerates in three seconds, the maximum speed is limited to 250 km / h. The unit has a very good throttle response in Sport mode and, thanks to the support of electric motors, accelerates very sharply from lower speeds.
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Peugeot 508 PES
Disappointing is certainly the sound of the engine, which has the same exhaust as the standard version. You will only hear a hint of a “rattle”, with the window open … At least the artificial sound generated by the speakers is not completely exaggerated.
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The pairing of the whole seemingly complex system can be praised. The combustion part connects almost imperceptibly and the eight-speed transmission can shift very smoothly and velvety.
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With such a powerful version, however, I would like faster reactions to manual shifting “paddles” under the steering wheel. In addition, the manual mode is not permanent and the car decides after a while that it will shift on its own again. I consider this a big mistake for a sports car.
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However, if you want to save liters of fuel, switch to electric mode. The car runs on electricity up to 140 km / h. The lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 11.5 kWh will provide a table range of up to 42 kilometers on a single charge, in real conditions in the city, expect approximately 30 to 35 kilometers. On the 7.4 kW charger, the battery is charged in an hour and forty-five minutes.
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As with any plug-in hybrid, power consumption is highly dependent on driving style and charging frequency. The ideal vision is that the owner with a home wallbox should basically only drive around the city on electricity.
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Even if it doesn’t stay at the socket so often, the car works as a full-hybrid using brake regeneration and can keep consumption combined at just under seven liters. However, if you want to use full power, the average will easily switch to double digits.
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Effective, not very playful
The chassis for the PSE version has undergone geometry adjustment and tuning. Adaptive shock absorbers remain to offer surprising comfort in comfort mode. However, the stiffer axle mounting and the huge wheels make themselves known on larger holes and channels.
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If you focus your eyes on the front axle, you will also be interested in the significant deflection of the front wheels. The track was also increased, thanks to which the wheels “stick” out of the body. After all, the car relies a lot on the front wheels when driving in small districts.
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Peugeot 508 PES
The added weight on the rear axle and the different tuning, in long long curves, give the car more neutrality, but the car can’t drive much gas. Forget that you would cause even a slight overtaking exit from the corner only by the power from the rear electric motor, forget it. Just because electronic stabilization cannot be turned off completely. It is necessary to work more with the weight, but also with the front axle.
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Tight corners reveal how much the 508 PSE relies on quality footwear. And since I tested the car on winter tires, the understeer echoed much earlier than I would have liked.
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Combined with relatively steep but not very sensitive steering, this means that the car fits fast on highways or in fast corners, where it sells excellent stability at high speeds and neutral behavior at the moment when both axles can bite into the tarmac.
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Peugeot 508 PES
However, what is undoubtedly ready for brutal treatment and Peugeot has not traditionally underestimated are the Alcon brakes. Four-piston calipers and two-piece discs with a diameter of 380 mm on the front axle mean excellent endurance and response.
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Conclusion
The Peugeot 508 PSE is a beautiful car at first glance and in a straight line it can create acceleration from the realm of truly sports cars. But in my eyes, the special edition is a little different for me as a customer to defend a half-million surcharge compared to the more comfortable plug-in hybrid 508 with an output of 225 hp.
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Yes, you get a rear electric motor, ie all-wheel drive, a redesigned chassis or top brakes. But this car seems to want to maintain the travel-dynamic character of the standard 508 rather than offer a genuine driving experience on the edge.
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This corresponds not only to the overall tuning, but also to important details such as a dull sound expression, indelible stabilization or the absence of a truly manual shift mode, which is still velvety rather than fast.
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However, those who do not intend to sweep apex and want a stylish and very fast, stable touring car, which can be used in the city essentially as an electric car, can find the right thing in 508 PSE.
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| Peugeot 508 PES | |
| Combustion engine: |
1598 ccm, in-line four-cylinder petrol engine, turbo |
| Max. internal combustion engine power / torque: | 147 kW (200 hp) / 300 Nm |
| Max. electric motor power: | front: 81 kW (110 hp), rear: 83 kW (112 hp) |
| Max. system power / torque: | 265 kW (360 hp) / 520 Nm |
| Battery: | Li-Ion, 11,5 kWh |
| Charging: | 1 h, 45 m (from 0 to 100%, AC onboard charger, 7.2 kW, Mennekes cable) |
| Full charge range (WLTP): | 42 km |
| Transmission: | eight – speed automatic |
| 0-100 km / h: |
5,2 s |
| Top speed: |
250 km / h |
| Average consumption (WLTP): |
1.8 l / 100 km |
| Standby weight: | 1925 kg |
| Load capacity: | 415 kg |
| Length × width × height: |
4850 × 1860 × 1410 mm |
| Basic / maximum trunk volume: |
487/1537 l |
| Driven axle: |
4×4, rear wheels powered by electric motor |
| Basic price of the model: |
CZK 1,005,000 (Allure Pack 1.5 BlueHDi 130k) |
| Basic price of the tested version: |
CZK 1,700,000 |
| Price of the tested car: |
CZK 1,716,000 |
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