2021 Peugeot 508 PSE plug-in hybrid launched in Germany

KUALA LUMPUR: Unveiled back in September, the most powerful Peugeot - the plug-in hybrid 508 Sport Engineered is now available for sale in Germany. The automaker is offering the PHEV in two body styles - sedan and wagon. The sedan carries a price tag of €66,640 (RM 328,271) while the wagon version is priced at €67,940 (RM 334,699).

The 508 PSE is the first model of the marque’s new performance division and it leads the way for another hot electrified offerings of the company. Being a performance version, it carries plenty of visual and mechanical changes to stand neck to neck against the models like BMW M340i, Audi S4, and Mercedes-AMG C43.

Talking about the exterior, the plug-in hybrid features the same headlights and daytime running lights while a darker central grille with vertical slats and a new front bumper with 3D printed valence are there to create a distinction. Adding to the uniqueness are a restyled rear diffuser, subframe flaps, winglets on the quarter panels, 20-inch alloy wheels, and ‘Kryptonite’ green accents and brake calipers.

Inside the cabin, the electrified 508 sports a 10-inch infotainment system, i-cockpit, premium audio system, head-up display, and heated seats. The headliner, seats, and steering wheel are wrapped in Alcantara trim.

A number of driving aids are also added to the PSE model, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and a ‘Night Vision’ system that uses a front-mounted infrared camera for a view beyond the range of the headlights.

Under the hood, the most powerful Peugeot carries a combination of a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine and two electric motors. The pack combinedly produces a total output of 360 PS and a peak torque of 520 Nm. An eight-speed automatic transmission drives all four wheels of the hot sedan and wagon. The 11.5 kWh battery pack which gives out an all-electric range of 42 km, takes seven hours to charge on a normal plug, and less than two on a 7kW wall box.

According to the French automaker, the 508 PSE can hit the 100 kmph mark in 5.2 seconds before achieving the top speed of 250 kmph, irrespective of the body type. And about the fuel efficiency, Peugeot claimed 2 litres per 100 km, with CO2 emissions of 46 grams per km.

For the European market, the 2021 508 PSE is built at the company’s Mulhouse factory in France.

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