WHEN we first got behind the wheel of the Peugeot 508 range at the local launch in July last year, we were immediately impressed by the distance the French marque had travelled from the mediocre 407 sedan and wagon. Offering a hitherto unexpected level of class, dynamism and quality, the 508 represented a monumental step up from its successor, while keen pricing threw it well into the mix against the sharper members of an accomplished vehicle segment. But sometimes a quick test can be deceptive, so we decided to spend a week behind the wheel of a mid-range Allure 2.0-litre HDi sedan to see if this big Pug deserves to be considered among the pointy end of the mid-size class.
407 sedan and wagon
Released: September 2004
Ended: June 2011
Family Tree: 508THE 407 looked promising on paper with its double-wishbone front suspension and advanced diesel technology, but was one of the biggest motoring disappointments of the decade after the fine 406 that preceded it.
A failure to sufficiently deliver as either a driver’s car or a quality premium product wasn’t helped by poor packaging and a ludicrously ugly front-end that only a mother could love.
Two body styles arrived – four-door sedan and five-door Touring wagon – with a choice of petrol or turbo-diesel engines driving the front wheels.
Initially the ST was the base car, offering a 116kW/217Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with six-speed manual or four-speed auto.
The manual was also applied to the 100kW/320Nm 2.0-litre HDi turbo-diesel in the new entry-level SR and ST from early 2005, but didn’t gain the auto until 2006.
A luxury SV was also imported, powered by a 155kW/290Nm 3.0-litre petrol V6 or a 150kW/440Nm 2.7-litre HDi turbo-diesel V6.
Both SV engines were also offered in the slow-selling 407 Coupe from early 2006, before a minor facelift was introduced in 2008.
Road Test
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