Revised Peugeot 408 gets new looks, smart lighting and boosted power
Illuminating tweaks for French fancy, including improvements to range and economy...
On sale Spring 2026 | Price from £36,000 (est)
What do Las Vegas and the new Peugeot 408 have in common? Well, they both divide opinion. And now, they’re both using clever lighting to make them stand out among a raft of increasingly appealing rivals.
In the case of Las Vegas, the venue known as The Sphere boasts the world’s largest LED displays. But the latest version of the 408 – Peugeot’s swoopy executive ‘fastback’ –
also has a few tricks up its sleeve.
That’s because, as part of a raft of revisions, both the 408 and the electric e-408 now have some rather snazzy lighting – including illuminated badges front and rear.
At the back, the ‘PEUGEOT’ lettering is integrated into a full-width strip and is flanked on either side by a trio of slanted ‘claw’ tail-lights – a pattern that’s repeated up front with the daytime running lights and scrolling indicators. The claws are joined together by a further series of LED strips that run across the upper part of the car’s reworked front grille.
The LED headlights are positioned slightly lower in a redesigned front bumper, and they consist of two thin modules, one responsible for dipped beam and the other for main beam. They are virtually invisible when they’re not in use. Higher-spec GT and GT Exclusive trims upgrade them to beam-altering Matrix LEDs.
As before, the entry-level petrol engine option is a 1.2-litre mild hybrid, but power is unchanged at 143bhp, there’s a small improvement in official fuel economy. There’s also a plug-in hybrid with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and an electric motor. Power has increased to 237bhp (from 222bhp), and the battery is larger than before (14.6kWh versus 12.4kWh), boosting its official electric range from 40 to 53 miles.
The e-408 retains the same 58.2kWh (usable capacity) battery as before, but range increases by two miles to 283 miles under official figures. However, it has a new pre-conditioning function that can bring the battery up to the optimal temperature to achieve maximum charging speeds. The EV also features V2L (vehicle-to-load) functionality for powering or charging external devices such as e-bikes and power tools, although the adapter required is an optional accessory.
Both models feature a new Flare Green paint option (taking the number of available hues to six) that appears to morph from yellow in sunlight to deep green in the shade.
Other design additions include a new 19in alloy wheel option featuring geometric shapes and diamond-cut surfaces. These are standard with GT trim and optional on Allure and Allure Business variants. The plug-in hybrid GT Exclusive comes with 20in wheels.
Inside, there’s a new digital instrument panel with revised graphics in front of the driver. The 3D graphics in GT Exclusive models have been tweaked in a bid to improve readability. Other changes include new seat and trim fabrics.
With the mechanically identical Citroën C5 X now discontinued, the 408 has few direct rivals, but in the wider executive car class, it faces the electric-only Tesla Model 3 and the combustion-engined Skoda Superb, the latter offering a wider variety of power options.
Prices are expected to be similar to current levels. That makes the new 408 roughly on a par with the equivalent Superb, while the e-408 is a bit cheaper than the Model 3.
Read more: Best executive cars
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