Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered revealed

They’re not yet confirmed for Australia, but a piping-hot plug-in hybrid sports sedan and wagon will be the first models from the Peugeot Sport Engineered performance car sub-brand.

The Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered sedan and SW will be the most powerful production models ever seen from the French brand, which is celebrating its 210th birthday.

However, the first Peugeot 508 performance models won’t match the 500kW power output promised by the hypercar with which the French brand will return to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in the new production-based Le Mans Hypercar category from 2022.

Nor will the Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered models be as quick or powerful as the 373kW/720Nm Peugeot 308 R HYbrid concept, which was claimed to hit 100km/h in four seconds, in 2015.

But like the 308 R Hybrid and the unnamed hypercar with which Peugeot will return to the Le Mans 24-hour race it won in 2009, the 508 sports sedan and wagon will incorporate all-wheel drive hybrid powertrains.

In this case, Peugeot says the hot new plug-in 508s will combine a conventional engine with an electric motor for each axle to develop 270kW/520Nm – enough to offer 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.2 seconds and an electronically limited 250km/h top speed.

The combustion engine wasn’t revealed, but it’s likely to be the same 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder seen in Australia’s Peugeot 508 Fastback GT (currently priced from $57,490) and Sportwagon GT ($59,490).

Developed by the same Peugeot Sport engineers that fielded competitive entries in the WEC, World Rally Championship, Dakar Rally and Pikes Peak, the plug-in hybrid 508s are claimed to emit just 46g/km of CO2 – the equivalent of 2.03L/100km in fuel consumption according to the WLTP test protocol.

Five driving modes are available via a selector on the centre console, including Electric (offering up to 42km of zero-emissions travel up to 140km/h, for example in the growing number of urban green zones in Europe) and Sport, which provides maximum performance and firms up the suspension and steering.

In between are Hybrid, which automatically selects combustion or electric power to optimise efficiency depending on conditions, Comfort (a hybrid mode with softer suspension settings) and 4WD for maximum traction in slippery conditions.

While the engine charges the battery when not required for enthusiastic acceleration, it can also be charged in less than seven hours via a standard domestic power outlet, in four hours with a 16-amp outlet and in less than two hours using a 32-amp Wall Box, says Peugeot.

Underlining the Peugeot 508 Sport’s performance bent is a three-mode adaptive damping system (Comfort/Hybrid/Sport), 380mm front brake discs and fixed four-piston callipers, 20-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres and wider wheel tracks – up 24mm at the front and 12mm at the rear.

Design-wise, the Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered models draw inspiration from the French brand’s past with tail-lights that mimic the Peugeot 504’s, alongside black exhaust outlets and a gloss-black central diffuser, plus a sharper front bumper, grille and side skirts.

A new ‘three Kryptonite claws’ logo graces the grille, front quarter guards and steering wheel, and paint options include Pearl white, Perla Nera black and a unique Selenium grey.

Other extras include ‘comfort-fit’ seats trimmed in a mix of leather, 3D mesh and Alcantara, double Tramontane grey and Kryptonite cabin stitching, and a FOCAL Hi-Fi audio system.

Carryover Peugeot 508 features include the Peugeot i-Cockpit with 10-inch infotainment screen and digital head-up display, plus night vision, adaptive cruise control with stop/go function, lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking.

First European deliveries will commence in mid-October, but the French-built Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered sedan and SW models, which offer the same interior and boot space as standard 508s, are yet to be confirmed for Australian release.