- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.6T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
165kW, 300Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 6.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2018)
2021 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback review
For those who want to eschew the stampede of SUVs on our roads, the Peugeot 508 GT Fastback proves there's more than a little life left in the family sedan, writes Rob Margeit.
- Stunning looks inside and out
- A perfectly willing engine and transmission combination
- The cabin is at once luxurious and beautifully designed
- Simple functions, such as climate control, buried inside the touchscreen
- Expensive servicing
- The second row is not as comfortable as it could be
Introduction
There’s a saying about beauty being in the eye of the beholder. And that’s true enough. What’s beautiful to one person might not tickle the aesthetic heartbeat of another. But, some things transcend that maxim. The 2021 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback is one of those things.
Its low-slung and sleek lines are perfectly proportioned, so much so we had to find out who designed it – Pierre-Paul Mattei is the person responsible, and we have much to thank him for, not least of all for daring to create something so beautiful in a segment that is increasingly homogenised, not to mention niche.
Which is a pity. Sedans – or in the 508’s case, Fastback – are increasingly overlooked as the car-buying world continues its inexorable shift towards high-riding SUVs and utes. It’s a social paradigm we need to accept, but that doesn’t mean cars like the 508 Fastback don’t have something to offer.
In the case of the 2021 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback, that offer is not only elegant and stylish, but also crammed with equipment and technology. Bonus points for being, just well, different.
There’s not a lot of choice when it comes to the Peugeot 508 range in Australia. Just two variants – one Fastback, one wagon – jostle for forecourt space in local Pug dealerships.
One is the car we’re testing here, the Peugeot 508 GT Fastback. It’s priced at $57,490 plus on-road costs. While that seems like a hefty price tag, there’s a lot of Peugeot included for the money, with the only options some shades of paint at $1050 a pop and a panoramic roof ($2500). Similar cars in the segment can have options lists running to pages – and the commensurate big bucks – in length.
But, if a station wagon is more your style, then for an extra $2000 the French brand has you covered with the 2021 Peugeot 508 Sportwagon ($59,490 plus on-roads).
Powering both versions is Peugeot’s turbocharged 1.6-litre inline four-cylinder petrol engine making 165kW and 300Nm. An eight-speed automatic transmission sends drive to the front wheels, and when hooked up Peugeot claims the 508 can hustle from 0-100km/h in around 8.1 seconds. That’s not blisteringly fast, but neither is it particularly slow.
With just one specification available locally, Peugeot has thrown the book at its local 508. Standard equipment reads like an options list with highlights including 19-inch alloy wheels, nappa leather seats, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights and daytime-running lights, Peugeot’s i-Cockpit digital instrument display, a 10.0-inch capacitive touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, wireless smartphone charging, integrated satellite navigation and Peugeot’s suite of active safety tech.
While traditional sedans and, for that matter, station wagons are increasingly rare on our roads, the Peugeot 508 is no unicorn, with competition for buyers’ consideration coming from Mazda, Skoda and Volkswagen.
The Mazda 6 range encompasses eight sedans and wagons with a price spread starting at $34,590 for the entry-level Sport and topping out at $51,390 for the Atenza wagon. Similarly, Skoda’s Octavia gets underway at $30,390 for the sedan in Ambition grade and maxes out at $49,090 for the RS wagon.
Only Volkswagen asks for similar money to Peugeot, its Passat range kicking off at $46,590 for the sedan in Business trim and hitting the ceiling with the R-Line wagon at $63,790 – all before on-road costs.
Get a great deal today
Interested in this car? Provide your details and we'll connect you to a member of the Drive team.
But whereas the Passat oozes austerity and errs on the side of conservative, the Peugeot 508 looks like something else altogether, a challenge to current thinking.
The 508 is at once smaller (it measures 8cm less in length than the model it replaced in 2018) and shorter (its roof line is 6cm lower), while the fastback tail adds some visual length. The rake of the windscreen too has sharpened, lending it the overall appearance of a sedan, yes, but one that is low and sleek. That the doors feature frameless windows only enhances the sleek allure of the 508 Fastback.
Key details | 2021 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback |
Price (MSRP) | $57,490 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Platinum Grey |
Options | Metallic paint ($690) |
Price as tested | $58,180 plus on-road costs |
Rivals | Mazda 6 | Skoda Octavia | Volkswagen Passat |
Inside
It’s a theme that’s carried through to the interior, which will seem familiar to anyone who’s sat in a recent Peugeot. The nappa leather seats, embellished with Aikinite contrast stitching detail, are supremely comfortable and supportive. They hug you as you sit in them, and thanks to eight-way electric adjustment, including lumbar support, finding the ideal driving position is a cinch.
The dashboard is arguably a work of art, a two-tiered façade that eschews the vertical in place of horizontal. Its horizontal planes draw the eye out through the windscreen with a seamless transition between driver and surroundings.
The 10.0-inch capacitive touchscreen, with seven gorgeously styled piano key shortcut buttons underneath, looks the business, as does Peugeot’s configurable digital driver display dubbed i-Cockpit. It’s a classy interpretation of the technology, right down to the use of fonts that look like something out of the pages of a high-end magazine. Sleek is a word that keeps popping into mind.
The central storage area features a couple of smallish cupholders and a stubby, angled gear selector that feels nice in the hand. Solid. And whereas Peugeot’s signature small steering wheel can be bothersome in some of the French brand’s cars and SUVs, in this instance it makes sense.
A pair of cupholders on the small side aren’t really practical for Australian cup sizes. They fit, just, the tight squeeze not conducive to ease of use. A central storage bin provides decent storage for the daily accoutrements we carry around with us, while another smaller storage bin left of the gear selector is ideal for keys and the like. It also has a lid to keep prying eyes averted.
The second row isn’t as comfy as the front, with firmer bases and seatbacks that could become tiresome on longer trips for those consigned to the back seat purgatory. Toe room is in the light side, although knee, leg and head room are fine.
A fold-down armrest reveals two cupholders, while air vents (although no separate climate controls) work to keep second-row occupants climatically comfy. A pair of USB points are there to keep devices topped up.
Thanks to its liftback architecture, the 508’s boot is reasonably spacious. It measures in at 487L with the second row being used by people, expanding to 1537L with those seats stowed away in 40:60 fashion. A ski port adds some convenience for those needing to carry skis, fishing rods, or perhaps curtain rails, as well as people.
A powered tailgate provides access to the boot and helpfully features gesture control that actually works - not always the case with this technology. A space-saver spare wheel and tyre live under the boot floor.
The overall effect of the cabin mirrors the 508’s external styling, at once sleek and stylish while remaining mostly practical. Yes, the second row is tight for adult-sized humans, but as an aesthetic experience, the Peugeot 508 comes up trumps.
It‘s beautiful to look at, and feels every bit the cutting-edge design it presents while offering functionality and practicality. There are foibles, like the small cupholders, but sitting in the cabin just feels good.
2021 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 487L / 1537L |
Length | 4750mm |
Width | 1860mm |
Height | 1410mm |
Wheelbase | 2800mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
A 10.0-inch capacitive touchscreen anchors the 508’s infotainment system. It features in-built satellite navigation as well as smartphone mirroring via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The touchscreen also acts as a command post for the Peugeot’s climate controls, with functions like temperature and fan speed only accessed via the screen. It’s not ideal, especially on the move, proving a distraction to use.
Helpfully, those gorgeous piano key-style shortcut buttons act as exactly that, bringing up the requisite menu on the touchscreen. But from there, it’s screen swipes and presses to effect any changes.
Helpfully, an old-school volume dial is a relief when using the decent 10-speaker Focal sound system, which offers clear and crisp audio. DAB+ radio is standard.
The camera resolution isn’t the sharpest, while the screen errs on the small side. That’s exacerbated at night where it’s difficult to make out any detail, and a hindrance to reverse parking. Our advice? Go old-school and look over your shoulders in tandem with the Pug’s front and rear parking sensors.
The configurable digital cockpit display is a winner, too, where you're able to scroll through a wealth of information, from trip to maps to the vehicle’s vital stats, all while looking a million bucks. And it’s positioned high on the dash, too, so that it sits within your eyeline above the top edge of the small steering wheel. That combination takes some getting used to, but once you do, it all works nicely and ergonomically.
Safety & Technology
The 508 comes equipped with Peugeot’s suite of active tech dubbed Safety Plus Pack, which bundles in advanced autonomous emergency braking that works at speeds between 5-140km/h, active lane-keeping assist and lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control with stop&go function, speed sign recognition, and a driver-attention monitor. It misses out on rear cross-traffic alert, however, which is technology that ought to be standard.
The adaptive cruise control is worth a mention, with the location of the controls on a stalk on the lower part of the steering column proving irksome. It’s unsighted, and with several buttons and switches needed to control the various functions – speed up, speed down, cancel, resume – it did prove distracting by requiring some guesswork.
But, the good news is that once you’ve figured it out, it becomes intuitive and a cinch to use. As for its functionality, the adaptive cruise control works a treat, both in maintaining the set speed and in reading the traffic conditions around the 508 to ensure a smooth and effortless driving experience.
The Peugeot 508 wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded at launch in 2018. The safety body scored the 508 high in adult and child occupant protection (96 per cent and 87 per cent respectively), while vulnerable road user protection was rated at 71 per cent and safety-assist systems at 76 per cent. A full suite of airbags covers both rows of occupants.
The outboard second-row seats are fitted with ISOFIX child seat mounts that join three top-tether anchor points on the seatbacks.
2021 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback | |
ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2018) |
Safety report | Link |
Value for Money
With a starting price in the high $50K region, the Peugeot 508 certainly sits at the upper reaches of the medium sedan segment. However, thanks to its specification and overall quality, Peugeot’s mid-sizer makes a compelling case for being considered against premium rivals from Germany (Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz), Japan (Lexus) and the UK (Jaguar). In that context, the 508 stacks up well.
Servicing, however, proves a touch on the exy side, the 508 commanding premium servicing costs over its 12-month/20,000km intervals. Three years of scheduled visits to the Peugeot workshop will set you back $1986, while five years’ servicing commands $3394.
Peugeot claims the 508 will sip 6.3 litres per 100km of 95RON premium unleaded on the combined cycle. Our week with the French family hauler saw an indicated 9.7L/100km, with the caveat being that number was skewed heavily towards urban (Peugeot claims 8.3L/100km on the urban loop). The 508, like the wider Peugeot range, is covered by the brand’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assist.
At a glance | 2021 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback |
Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months / 20,000km |
Servicing costs | $1986 (3yrs) | $3394 (5yrs) |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 6.3L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 9.7L/100km |
Fuel type | 95RON petrol |
Fuel tank size | 62L |
Driving
With a tare weight of just 1385kg (the Volkswagen Passat, for example, tips the scale at 1511kg), the 1.6-litre turbo four under the 508’s bonnet has enough punch for most situations.
That 165kW (at 5500rpm) and 300Nm (at 2750rpm) combination provides excellent and unflustered motoring. Take-off from standstill is sharp, much sharper than you’d expect from a car of this size with a humble 1.6-litre four-pot under the bonnet. No doubt its svelte frame helps.
The eight-speed Aisin-sourced automatic transmission works away effortlessly, with smooth shifts in automatic mode, and razor-sharp response should you opt for the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The 508 is happy and eager to get up to highway speeds, and feels much quicker than its claimed 8.1 seconds to 100km/h indicates. There’s a pleasing little growl from the engine under harder acceleration - not raucous or anti-social, but just enough of a grumble to satisfy.
The 508’s suspension tune is a highlight, neither too soft nor too firm. Adaptive dampers underpin the 508’s chassis, but unlike some systems of this type, the five settings aren’t too far apart in their operation. Even the firmest setting still sees the 508 offer a compliant yet balanced ride, with little in the way of brittleness.
On balance, the ride remains supremely comfortable, everyday road rash remains a distant memory while the 508 settles quickly after navigating larger obstacles. Comfort is the key here, and the 508 delivers.
Similarly, several drive modes – Eco, Comfort and Sport – alter engine and transmission responsiveness, as well as adding some weight to the steering, although we found Comfort to be perfectly fine for everyday driving. Should you want to toss the 508 at some corners, though, there’s enough eagerness in Sport mode to allow for a little fun.
Despite its front-wheel-drive platform, the 508 remains planted and solid on the road, with sharp steering and sharper throttle response.
But, the 508 isn’t really a car you want to hustle with abandon, not too much anyway. Instead, enjoy its grand touring abilities and soak up the clicks in comfort and style. Simply, you feel keen to spend an entire day behind the wheel while barely raising a sweat.
Around town, too, the 508’s light weight makes for an easy to live with urban crawler. It feels light, it feels agile, it feels fast enough.
Key details | 2021 Peugeot 508 GT Fastback |
Engine | 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol |
Power | 165kW @ 5500rpm |
Torque | 300Nm @ 2750rpm |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | Eight-speed torque convertor automatic |
Power to weight ratio | 119.1kW/t |
Weight (tare) | 1385kg |
Tow rating | 1600kg braked / 745kg unbraked |
Conclusion
Despite sedans becoming an increasingly niche product, Peugeot has demonstrated with the 508 GT Fastback that there’s life left in the once-staple formula. Compelling design, both inside and out, goes a long way to making you feel good behind the wheel, while the cavernous boot under that liftback tail adds practicality that some sedans cannot match.
Not everyone is on the SUV bandwagon, and for those who dare to venture away from the mainstream, the 508 is a stylish reward for their non-conformity.
That it matches its undeniably design-driven philosophy with a comfortable driving experience should not be overlooked either. The Peugeot 508 GT Fastback has both style and substance. Not every new car can make that claim.