Peugeot 508 SW review

The Peugeot 508 SW isn’t exactly a bargain as it costs more than the Mazda 6 Tourer and even the cavernous Skoda Superb Estate. Lower trim levels do at least undercut rivals such as the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 3 Series Touring and Volvo V60, although fancier models do tread on the coattails of those premium rivals.

Sadly, high-looking PCP costs don't help the 508 SW's case, but the regular Hybrid 225 plug-in version makes plenty of sense as a company car. The low emissions figures mean it costs around half as much in benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax as an equivalent petrol or diesel rival, despite its rather high list price. Other plug-in rivals – such the bigger Superb Estate iV and the more comfortable VW Passat Estate GTE – cost a similar amount and are better all-round options. The Octavia Estate iV’s 40 miles plus electric-only range puts it into a far lower BIK tax bracket.

The plug-in hybrids should also be very economical – but only if you drive them with plenty of battery power to reduce their dependence on fossil fuel. The other non-hybrid engines have decent efficiency compared with rivals, too. The 1.6-litre Puretech 180 petrol is especially competitive for a car of its type, managing an mpg figure in the mid-forties. If you’re a long-distance driver, the diesel’s 60mpg+ claimed economy will no doubt be of interest.

Even entry-level Active Premium models get plenty of standard equipment, including dual-zone climate control, a leather steering wheel, keyless entry and start, 16in alloy wheels and all the equipment we’ve already mentioned.

We’d spend a bit more for Allure trim for extra safety kit, the bigger infotainment system, a ski flap and lumbar adjustment, extra interior lighting and even some carpet mats. Going any higher up the trim ladder than that starts to get pretty pricey rather quickly without adding much useful extra kit.

A long list of standard safety equipment adds to the appeal: lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection and speed limit monitoring are all fitted across the range. Allure adds blind-spot monitoring and a driver attention alert, helping to make it our favourite trim. Euro NCAP awarded the 508 SW five stars for safety, with very high ratings for adult and child occupant protection. However, the BMW 3 Series Touring is even less likely to cause injury in an impact.

Peugeot finished a disappointing 25th out of 31 in the manufacturers’ table of the What Car? Reliability Survey. Its three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty is only slightly above average for the class, with the Toyota Corolla offering a five-year or 100,000 mile warranty. The battery in the plug-in hybrid is covered by an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty, which also guarantees it will keep at least 70% of its capacity during that time.