New Peugeot 408 here by Christmas

The 2023 Peugeot 408 has been officially confirmed for Australia, as suggested by the emergence of local homologation data in March, and the French brand says the all-new model – which morphs from mid-size sedan to medium SUV ‘coupe’ – will arrive in local showrooms “late” this year.

With expressions of interest now being taken, Peugeot Australia has revealed the shrunken Lamborghini Urus lookalike will be offered here exclusively as a plug-in hybrid, with just one variant available from launch.

“Aligning to our electrification journey, the dynamic Peugeot 408 will launch in a single powerful plug-in hybrid variant in Australia,” said managing director Kate Gillis in a statement.

“We strongly believe the captivating design excellence of the new 408, combined with the intelligent plug-in hybrid powertrain, will attract discerning local customers.”

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system in question is the widely used and familiar 165kW system that combines a 132kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with an 81kW electric motor and a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery.

This powertrain gifts the 408 GT PHEV – nameplate nominated in the homologation approval – a handy power advantage over the only other ‘coupe’ in the mainstream medium SUV segment, the 150kW GWM-Haval H6 GT, however, the Peugeot will undoubtedly carry a significantly higher asking price.

Local pricing and specification details will be announced closer to the 408’s launch but it’s clear Peugeot Australia already has an eye on a possible expansion of the range given a 92kW 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine has also been homologated for our market.

As with other Pug models, the entry-level donk drives the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Despite its coupe shape, the 408 still offers class-competitive cargo and storage capacities with a 506-litre boot and a maximum cargo volume of 1611 litres when the second row is folded flat.

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