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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 106

Back in 2020, Peugeot's high aspirations for its 508 medium range model meant that it needed to offer the car with cutting edge electrified technology - and did in this plug-in hybrid form, the resulting model badged the 508 Hybrid. For original buyers, there was a price to pay for the convenience of limited fuel-free mileage, but they gained some of the outlay back in lower taxation payments and petrol savings. Fastback and SW estate variants both featured with this set-up and there was premium packaging and appealing design to sugar the asking figures. Let's take a look at this car as a used market buy.

Modelsword count: 8

5dr SUV (1.6 PHEV petrol) [Allure, GT, PSE]

Historyword count: 266

At the end of this century's second decade, stricter emissions regulations forced every brand to invest in electrified engine tech and it was interesting to see how different manufacturers prioritised the different technology options the industry had to offer. The European Stellantis Group chose to initially ignore the two self-charging options (mild and full-hybrids) and instead install full-EV powertrains in its smaller models and Plug-in Hybrid engines in its larger ones, cars like this Peugeot 508 Hybrid, first launched in 2020. The same set-up was offered in this period in the Lion brand's 3008 mid-sized SUV, but with the 508, it couldn't be had in 300hp AWD form. With the 508 Hybrid, the idea was to address a primarily business-orientated clientele attracted by the low taxation opportunity that models of this kind could offer. People who back in 2018 were considering cars in this class like the Volkswagen Passat GTE, the Skoda Superb iV and the BMW 330e. The 508 Hybrid was sold with a choice of two body shapes, the stylish five-door Fastback Coupe model and its sleeker SW estate showroom stablemate. A faster 'Peugeot Sport Engineered' version was introduced in 2021, two years before the 508 line-up was significantly facelifted. The 2023 package of mid-term updates probably didn't go far enough but brought a sharper look and improved cabin screen tech. By then, diesels were no more for 508 buyers, the Hybrid version's PHEV powertrains were prioritised and the potent 'Peugeot Sport Engineered' model continued as the range flagship. In this form, the car sold until late-2025, when it was discontinued and not replaced.

What You Getword count: 887

Unless you happen to be a Peugeot dealer or an ardent fan of the brand, you're unlikely to be able to tell a 508 Hybrid apart from a conventional variant at a glance. There's a special dichroic version of the Peugeot lion brand logo, some additional Hybrid badges stuck on the front wings, an extra left-hand filler flap for voltage charging and a cyan light that shines from the interior mirror when the car is in all-electric motion. If the 508 formula appeals, you don't have to have the standard Fastback hatch body shape: there's an alternative SW estate version that looks equally avant garde. Either way, there was a clear desire here from the designers to do something different - which we really like. As part of the 2023 update, all 508s got a redesigned more distinctive front grille integrated lower into the bumper and flanked on each side by redesigned '3-claw' LED daytime running lights. These flow up towards ultra-thin LED Matrix headlamps and the redesigned Basalt Grey-coloured central brand badge sits proudly above the numberplate. There were far fewer changes made at the rear with its elegantly raked-back tailgate, though an original owner of an earlier MK2 508 Hybrid would notice that the brand shield was replaced by spaced-out 'Peugeot' lettering across the central black strip that emphasises the 1.86-metre body width. Inside up front, the screen tech was changed as part of the 2023 update, but not a lot else, which means that with all MK2 508s, the first thing you'll initially notice is the so-called 'i-Cockpit' ergonomic layout, Peugeot's term for interior design that positions you so that you're looking at the instruments over the top of the steering wheel rather than viewing them through it. That wheel is small and low-set, facilitating a wrist-flick quality of steering feel that Peugeot always reckoned its owners really liked. The hybrid model changes are subtle in the very high quality cabin. There's a little 'lightning bolt' piano key button just below the centre-dash infotainment screen which accesses various hybrid-specific functions. There's an extra 'Energy' display option for the instrument binnacle screen and the auto gearbox lever gains an extra 'B' option so that regenerative braking force can be altered. That's about it. As you'd hope for a car tilting at premium prices, it all feels satisfyingly high end, particularly in the 'GT' form you'll want with its Aikinite-stitched dash and door panels, perforated Mistral leather steering wheel, blue ambient lighting, silver pedals and aluminium door sills. All the trim levels feature part-leather upholstery and if you avoid base trim, you get particularly comfortable multi-power-adjustable front seats, approved by the AGR organisation who campaign for healthy backs. True, the build quality doesn't feel quite as 'hewn from granite' as it would in, say, an Audi, but by 2023 Peugeot was certainly getting there and its approach to design was vastly more interesting. The redesigned instrument display in this updated MK2 508 was as in the original version, so as before a fully configurable and customisable 12.3-inch colour screen, though as part of this update it gained new generation dials with a crisper resolution - and additional display modes. Just about anything else you might want to know can be found on the 10-inch 'i-Connect Advanced' central screen (also redesigned as part of this update), which offered a wireless connection for 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto', over-the-air updates and a supposedly advanced “OK Peugeot” natural language voice recognition system. To get to the rear, you pull back the long door and as usual with 'Fastback'-style designs, try to avoid spearing yourself in the stomach with the acutely-angled trailing edge of the frameless rear window. And find yourself on a rear seat with just about enough leg room for a couple of adults, provided the journey isn't too long. It's not terrible - there's actually 3cms more legroom and 5cms more elbow room than you'd get in a comparable Audi A5 Sportback from this era for instance. The bigger problem is head space, which will be even more restricted if you get a car whose original owner specified the optional panoramic glass roof. Compensations come with the plush cabin ambiance - the intricate stitching on the seats and door cards - and little touches like the illuminated central USB-A ports: all of it delivers an elegant feel. A powered tailgate (which can work with a wave of your foot beneath the bumper) remained only optional on most models as part of this update - annoyingly so because the huge hatch is rather heavy. Once it raises, a 487-litre space is revealed, which impressively, isn't at all affected if you opt for this PHEV variant. A ski hatch is provided, but if you need to flatten everything, pulling on the toggles behind the head rests allows you to push everything forward. You'll find that the seats don't fold quite flat, but a very reasonable 1,537-litres of space is opened up. Of course, if you're going to be doing that very often, then you ought really to have opted instead for the SW estate body style. This delivers a 530-litre boot (thanks to the extra length of the load area) and a 'Magic Flat' button which, when prodded, folds everything to reveal a 1,780-litre space. What To Look For

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