The Genre-Bending Peugeot 408 Is Why I Love French Car Design

I’ve generally experienced a fascination with French automobiles. I won’t be able to don’t forget what design initially struck me, but from a youthful age my favorite automobile has generally been the groundbreaking Citroën DS, and French output and notion automobiles commonly fill my personal yearly lists of the finest new motor vehicle designs. French automobiles are regularly strange, perplexing and great, with the perfect mix of magnificence, features and innovation. On Wednesday, Peugeot unveiled its new 408, a style-bending crossover twin of the Citroën C5 X that embodies anything I enjoy about French vehicle design and style.

The 408’s general silhouette is that of a 4-door coupe or smooth fastback sedan, but it has the elevated ride top and large stance of an SUV. It can be variety of like the outdated AMC Eagle or the Honda Accord Crosstour, each of which have been in advance of their time, but the 408 is far better wanting than either. The 408 is about 3 inches longer than the likewise shaped Polestar 2 and has a 2-inch-longer wheelbase, and the Peugeot is very a lot equivalent in height. The reduced hood, mounting shoulder line and raked rear glass give the 408 an athletic, “feline” stance which is captivating from each individual angle.

Peugeot gave the 408 the coolest model of the brand’s new deal with but. Its grille is created up of dozens of skinny, human body-coloration pieces that get greater the even further they are from the heart emblem, flanked by slim matrix LED headlights that attribute Peugeot’s signature fang-like lights spearing down into the decreased gloss-black intakes. Equally, the rear stop has the brand’s 3-claw taillights established into a black bar, like on other versions, but the 408’s lessen cladding and built-in ducktail spoiler set it aside.

Past what you recognize at first look, the 408’s style is comprehensive of fascinating facts and surfacing. The entrance door and rear shoulder just about every have 3 character lines that appear to a stage, which capture the gentle and your eye in a superb way and movement down into the angular, upswept rocker panel. The black plastic wheel arches have a good lip to them, and the bodywork that surrounds explained arches is pinched in near the major to visually boost the car’s width. Cleverly hiding the hinges for the hatch are two “cat ears” built-in into the spoiler that Peugeot says make improvements to aerodynamics. Look at out those people Ferrari-like fender shields, as well!

Final month I said the up to date Rolls-Royce Phantom has the best wheels on sale, but the 408 has completely upstaged them with its wheels. The 20-inch kinda-four-spoke wheels have what Peugeot describes as a “disruptive” design and style. They search like a sci-fi ninja’s throwing stars and are unlike something I have noticed on a creation car or truck. Other wheels are out there, with dimensions beginning at 17 inches, but I really don’t know why you would select nearly anything else. The automobile in these shots is also painted in Obsession Blue, a new shade made for the 408.

The 408’s angular interior is tremendous funky much too, with the similar i-Cockpit theme as other Peugeot designs. A 10-inch central touchscreen is angled toward the driver, though the 10-inch digital gauge cluster is positioned nearer to eye degree. The 408’s air vents are also mounted superior up, which Peugeot suggests improves convenience, and the compact steering wheel has redesigned controls.

All the things is oriented for relieve of use while driving, but the center console is open so the passenger can use the monitor. Accessible functions incorporate massaging seats, a Focal audio system, night time vision, a panoramic sunroof and all kinds of driver-aid tech that works by using 6 cameras and nine radar sensors, like adaptive cruise handle with semi-automated lane improvements.

The minimum exciting element about the 408 is its powertrains. The normal offering is a turbocharged, 1.2-liter, a few-cylinder gasoline engine with 130 horsepower, but two distinct plug-in-hybrid setups utilizing a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder are available. Each and every powertrain employs an 8-pace computerized transmission and entrance-wheel travel, and the two hybrids have a 12.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The most highly effective setup has 225 hp, but no range figure is specified. A entirely electrical e-408 is coming subsequent yr, which should really be the choose of the litter.

The new 408 will go on sale in Europe at the beginning of 2023 before growing to other worldwide locations. It will be built the two in France and in China, with the Chinese model acquiring the name 408 X thanks to the already existing (and substantially additional monotonous) 408 sedan in that nation. Sadly there is certainly no likelihood the 408 will be offered in the US, as Peugeot’s options to reenter the country were shelved by Stellantis a several yrs in the past. Merde.