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Peugeot fully electrifies its aspirational 408 crossover hatch with a new battery system we haven't seen before. It makes for an unusual, slightly compromised but rather appealing confection.
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Driving experience
When a manufacturer starts to talk about the amount of miles an average of EV customer drives in a day (28 miles apparently in the C-segment), you know the marketeers have been saddled with a product struggling on EV range. In the case of this E-408, that figure is 281 miles, over hundred miles down on the cars Peugeot would like it to steal sales from, like longer range versions of the Tesla Model 3 and the Polestar 2. It wasn't actually necessary for it to be hobbled like this. Apparently, the Long Range 98kWh battery offered with the E-3008 would have fitted, but Peugeot presumably didn't want this E-408 to be saddled with that bigger pack's likely downsides of heavier weight and higher cost.
The car needed to do better than the fairly mediocre 257 mile EV figure of the E-308 though (which has a 51kWh usable-capacity battery), so the E-408 has ended up with a 58.2kWh usable-capacity NMC battery pack that we've never seen on a Stellantis Group model before. Which energises the same synchronous electric motor as is used in the E-3008, with 210hp and 345Nm of torque. The ordinary combustion 408 models don't provide particularly involving handling, so don't expect that here. But strengths will include refinement and an otherwise quite sporty feel thanks to the little i-Cockpit steering wheel.
The driver can choose from three drive modes based on their preferences. Normal mode is the default, setting power at 190hp and torque at 300Nm, striking a balance between dynamism and range. Sport mode (210hp and 345Nm) is available for peak performance and activates automatically during kick down. ECO mode (170hp and 270Nm) prioritises range.
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Design and build
Apart from the badgework and the lack of an exhaust, there's no real visual way to identify the E-408 from its combustion showroom stablemates - 'because we wanted to protect the design and its attractiveness', according to Peugeot's Product Director Jerome Micheron. The 408 is certainly still a good looking thing. You might expect it to be 308-based, but actually it's closer in quirky concept (and size) to another unconventional Stellantis Group Gallic model, the Citroen C5 X. The 408, according to its stylists, is a 'reinvention of the mid-sized sedan', with feline fashion touches like the radical front grille, an unusual bulbous rear diffuser and a duck tail spoiler. It's clearly been designed around the unusually styled 20-inch wheels of top variants, so with base 17-inch rims, owners might be disappointed with the finished effect.
They'll be disappointed if they come expecting an equally 'disruptive' sense of style inside too because the dash (which hasn't changed with this EV variant) is lifted entirely from the Peugeot 308. Many though, will see that as unusual enough, with its trademark Peugeot 'i-Cockpit' tiny steering wheel, over which (rather than through which) you view the virtual gauges on the 10-inch Digital Driver's Display. Another 10-inch screen adorns the centre of the fascia, with digital shortcut keys beneath and the brand's voice control system. In the rear seat, there's more head and knee room than you get in an E-308 - but not much more. Out back in the E-408, there's a 471-litre trunk size and a 1,545-litre seats-folded capacity. When the bench seat back's down, it is possible to load in an object up to 1.89m long.
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Market and model
E-408 pricing starts in the £42,000 bracket for base 'Allure' trim, with just under £3,000 more needed for plusher 'GT' spec. So only fractionally above the sum you'd need to find for a Plug-in Hybrid 408. Or a Peugeot E-308. And around £8,000-£10,000 more than you'd need for the non-plug-in Hybrid 136 e-DSC6 408 variant.
Standard equipment across the range of course includes the brand's usual 'i-Cockpit' dash layout, which includes a Digital Dial Display and a 10-inch centre infotainment screen with wireless 'Apple CarPlay'/'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring and Peugeot's latest voice control system. LED headlights and tail lamps are standard and entry-level models ride on 17-inch wheels, but you'll want to trade up to the unusual 'squared-off design' 20-inch rims of top variants which are aero-styled to contribute to the 0.28Cd drag factor. Key options include thicker side glass, night vision and a 'Drive Assist Pack which offers limited semi-autonomous drive tech and Rear Traffic Alert.
The E-408 'GT' can be fitted with the optional AQS (Air Quality System), which continuously monitors the quality of the incoming air and can automatically activate air recirculation when necessary. This sense of serenity is further enhanced at the 'GT' level with the Clean Cabin system, which filters pollutant gases and particles, displaying air quality information on the central touchscreen.
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Cost of ownership
We gave you the 281 mile range figure in our 'Driving' section (24 miles more than an E-308): to get near to that, you'll have to make frequent use of the provided 'Eco' mode and the 'Brake' button, which will increase the aggressiveness of the brake regeneration system, so recovering more energy back to the 58.2kWh usable capacity battery. That battery features a chemical composition comprising 80% nickel, 10% manganese and 10% cobalt, all of which improves efficiency. But none of it's enough to get this Peugeot anywhere near benchmark levels of driving range in this segment.
For AC fast charging, the E-408 includes an 11kW three-phase onboard charger as standard. For DC rapid charging, the car accepts power of up to 120kW (that's not great by class standards), allowing the battery to charge from 20% to 80% in just over 30 minutes, recovering 62 miles of range in just over 10 minutes. To optimise charging, the driver can programme the lower and upper thresholds via the central screen, for example, setting a minimum charge of 20% and a maximum of 80%.
Via the 'MyPeugeot' smartphone app or by using the vehicle's touchscreen, owners can schedule a wake-up time for the battery. This means that the cells can be at the optimal temperature for efficiency from the time you start up, plus of course the interior can also be pre-cooled or pre-heated too.
Owners can opt to purchase a single service plan to cover all essential maintenance. Service intervals are every year or 20,000 miles. And with the E-408 EV, you'll be given a certificate of battery capacity after each service; the battery comes with an eight year / 100,000 warranty for 70% of its capacity.
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Summary
There's some confusion here. In price, style and marketing, Peugeot wants to position this E-408 as an alternative to quite aspirational mid-sized EVs like the Tesla Model 3 and the Polestar 2. But in EV range, the E-408 isn't much different to what you'd get from the cheaper engineering that features with fellow Stellantis battery models like the Vauxhall Astra Electric and the Peugeot E-308. So it ends up being what it actually really is; a stepping stone between these two classes of car. Or, if you're being less charitable, neither one thing nor the other.
If range isn't the deciding factor though, we can see why you might want one. It looks great outside and in and you'd probably save a bit in up-front price over the over aspirational EV we mentioned. It will drive better too than it would have done with an E-3008's heavy long range battery. But the fact is that with that fitted, this car would have been easier to recommend.
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