Peugeot 408 Review 2026: Prices, specs & verdict

What is the Peugeot 408?

The Peugeot 408 is versatile family car that combines the style of a coupe with the practicality and raised driving position of an SUV. It is available with mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric powertrains.

The 400 series has a rich history. The 405 and 406 were big sellers for Peugeot, although the most recent model in the series – the 407 Coupe (2005 – 2011) - disappeared over 10 years ago. The French carmaker revived the series with the 408 in 2022, before updating the range in 2026.

Sitting between the 3008, 308 and 5008 in Peugeot’s line-up, the 408 promises plenty of substance to back up its eye-catching ‘fastback’ styling. This includes a broad choice of electrified powertrains, a spacious interior and a generous level of standard equipment.

The Peugeot 408 needs to be at the top of its game if it is to succeed as it is up against an accomplished class of design-led family cars. These include the Renault Rafale, BMW X2, Cupra Formentor, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Does the Peugeot 408 have the minerals to revive the famous 400 series and cut it with the best family SUVs? Read our in-depth review to find out.

Verdict: is the Peugeot 408 a good car?

The Peugeot 408 is an impressive all-rounder. Engaging, comfortable, refined and spacious, I rate it as a bold and accomplished effort from Peugeot.

For me, the electric E-408 is the one to buy, thanks to its competitive range, low running costs and smooth motorway manners. If you want a family-friendly car that looks and feels a bit different from the SUV crowd, the 408 should be on your shortlist.

Pricing, specs & rivals

At the time of writing, pricing for the Peugeot 408 starts at £31,995. At that price point, you get the entry-level Allure trim with the 1.2 petrol mild hybrid powertrain - badged Hybrid 145.

The electric model - badged E-408 - starts from £32,695 in Allure spec and this included the deduction for the electric car grant. The plug-in hybrid version of the 408 is available from £38,495 in Allure spec.

Standard equipment is generous with entry-level Allure getting automatic LED lights, 19in alloy wheels, dark tinted rear windows, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors and a rear-view camera, along with touchscreen infotainment.

GT trim adds £2,500 to the price for the hybrid and plug-in hybrid models (£2,400 for E-408). In return, you get 20in wheels and Matrix LED headlights which automatically adapt for the road conditions and oncoming traffic. You also get built-in navigation, a powered tailgate and front parking sensors.

For the highest level of standard equipment, you’ll want your 408 in GT Premium trim. It raises the price for the hybrid to £36,795 and £37,595 for the E-408. The plug-in hybrid GT Premium starts from £43,895.

GT Premium adds 20in wheels, Alcantara seat upholstery with heating and massage functions for the front seats, 360 parking camera, rear cross-traffic alert and a 3D-effect driver instrument display.

Rivals

The Peugeot 408 competes with a broad range of coupes and SUVs. This includes the Cupra Formentor, BMW X2, Renault Rafale, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Range Rover Evoque.

You may also want to consider the Audi Q3, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Skoda Elroq. If passenger and boot space are key for your family needs, the Skoda Superb may also be of interest.

Peugeot 408: Interior comfort, quality & technology

If you want a family car with a high-quality feel and a generous amount of space, the Peugeot 408 won’t disappoint. The interior is well made and filled with premium materials which gives you the impression the 408 is much more expensive than it is.

For the driver and front passenger, everything you can see and touch is covered in soft materials with a high-quality finish. There are some cheaper, hard plastics on the lower parts of the door and cabin, but you have to look hard to find them.

The sleek dashboard contains a pair of 10-inch screens, while the air-vents are merged into the dashboard to give a stylish and minimalist design. The driving position is good, too, with lots of adjustment for the front seats.

If you suffer from aches and pains over long car journeys, I’d recommend GT Premium trim - it comes fitted with upgraded front seats certified by AGR (the German Campaign for Healthier Backs).

Visibility is generally fine, thanks to the large windscreen and thin front pillars. However, the small rear window and thicker rear pillars do restrict visibility out of the back. This didn’t cause many issues for me during our test drives, as all versions of the 408 come with rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera as standard.

Peugeot’s i-Cockpit system is fitted to all models, which includes a small steering wheel and configurable driver’s instrument cluster. The top spec GT Premium model gets a 3D-style driver’s display.

I’d recommend that you try the i-Cockpit system on a test drive, as it will not suit all people. However, I think the system works well and provides a comfortable driving position with a clear view of the road and the vehicle’s instruments.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

All 408s get a 10in infotainment touchscreen that’s located at the centre of the dashboard. There are customisable digital shortcut buttons below the screen, along with a row of physical switches for essential in-car controls.

You’ll need to spec up to GT trim or better to get built-in navigation, but all versions of the 408 get wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means you can mirror your phone’s display on the 10in screen and use your own apps such as Google Maps, Spotify etc.

The infotainment system works well; the layout is simple enough to understand, and the digital shortcut buttons allow you to adjust the temperature, audio channel or route guidance without having to scroll through lots of menus. But the software does have the odd moment when it is sluggish, which means you experience the occasional delay when it comes to screen changes.

I really like the 3D driver’s instrument display on GT Premium spec. The quality of the screen is extremely high, with clear graphics that literally jump off the screen.

There are four USB-C ports in the 408 (two in the front, two in the rear). You also get a 12V charging socket in the front, while GT Premium models get a wireless charging pad for your smartphone.

How practical is the Peugeot 408?

If space and comfort are key car buying consideration, the interior of the Peugeot 408 will not disappoint. It has loads of room for passengers and luggage. It will also comfortably fit four large adults.

At 4,687mm long and 2062mm wide (including door mirrors) the 408 is longer than many of its rivals, including the BMW X2 and Cupra Formentor. Only the Renault Rafale is bigger, at 4,710mm.

Sometimes coupe-like SUVs struggle for rear headroom, but the 408 bucks this trend. At 6-foot 2in, I had little trouble finding a comfortable seating position in the rear seats and there was 1.5in of space between the top of my head and the roofline of the car.

Those in the front get lots of shoulder and elbow space, while legroom in the rear is generous.

The middle rear seat is the only slight blot on the report card, with the raised floor and rear air-vents protruding into the passenger space. There is enough space for an adult to travel over a short trip but it’s not a place you’d want to sit for more than 20 or 30 minutes.

Storage and boot space

The 408 has lots of useable storage. The glovebox is one of the largest I have seen in an SUV, while the deep door pockets easily accommodate a water bottle. There is also a useful storage point in the centre console for your phone.

Those in the back get a fold-down armrest with two cupholders and a small tray. The door pockets are large enough for a drinks bottle.

The rear seats have a 60/40 split when they fold down, which is not as impressive as some of the 408’s rivals. The seats in the Rafale, for example, fold in a 40/20/40 split.

The size of the boot will depend on which version of the 408 you choose. The hybrid has the largest boot of all models (536 litres) while the plug-in hybrid and E-408 get 471 litres due to the position of the battery pack under the boot floor.

Boot space drops further if you specify the Focal sound system to accommodate the subwoofer and extra speakers, with the hybrid getting 508 litres and all other models having 454 litres.

The square shape of the boot is practical, which means it doesn’t take too much effort to maximise the space on offer. There is a loading lip at the entrance of the boot space, but it is slanted on both sides and this should allow heavy items to slide over it without too much effort.

Performance & drive: What is the Peugeot 408 like on the road?

The Peugeot 408 is offered with mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric powertrains. There is significant variation in performance for all three versions, with the electric E-408 being my pick of the bunch.

Powered by a 58.3kWh (usable capacity) battery and 210hp motor, the E-408 is the best to drive with 0-62mph taking 7.2 seconds and 50-70mph completed in 4.5 seconds. There are three driving modes (eco, normal and sport) but for everyday driving I found the default normal setting to be fine.

The plug-in hybrid combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 92kW electric motor, 16.2kW battery and a dual clutch seven-speed automatic gearbox.

The PHEV version produces 240hp but doesn’t feel as fluid as the E-408 with 0-62mph taking 7.5 seconds. Officially, the 50-70mph time is 4.3 seconds, quicker than the EV model, but I struggled to notice the difference during our test drive in France.

The mild hybrid uses a 1.2-litre petrol engine, 16kW electric motor and a 48v battery with a dual clutch six-speed automatic gearbox. It’ll run on electricity for very short distances at low speeds, but it’s not as impressive as the Toyota C-HR hybrid system (which runs on pure electricity at higher speeds for longer).

The hybrid 408 has 145hp which makes it the slowest model in the range, with 0-62mph taking 9.4 seconds. The three-cylinder engine and electric motor have to be worked quite hard when joining a fast-moving motorway, which means it’s not as relaxing to drive as either the EV or PHEV versions.

Power, 0-62mph times 

Hybrid:

• Peugeot 408 Hybrid 145 / 9.4 seconds
• Peugeot 408 Plug-in Hybrid 240 / 7.5 seconds

Electric:

• Peugeot E-408 / 7.2 seconds

Ride and handling

The Peugeot 408 is good to drive, with responsive steering and composed body control. Importantly, you get plenty of feedback through the steering wheel and pedals, which gives you the confidence to push the car through a series of challenging bends.  

The E-408 is the most rewarding to drive, with a decent lump of torque that ensures the car swiftly picks up the pace when asked to.

The 19in wheels provide the best ride quality, especially on the motorway where it glides along in a smooth and controlled manner. Things only become bumpy on 20in wheels at low speeds, with potholes and speed humps providing a few unwelcome jolts for the driver and their passengers.

Noise and refinement

If you choose the E-408, you’ll get a smooth, quiet and refined car that excels on the motorway as it wafts along in near silence. Road noise is well supressed, even on 20in wheels, which adds to the overall sense of refinement.

The plug-in hybrid emits some electric motor noise when travelling at motorway speeds, but on the whole the 408 does a pretty good job of keeping road and wind noise hushed.

The hybrid version of the 408 is the least refined, with the 1.2-litre petrol engine becoming vocal under heavy acceleration. At times, this drowns out the audio system, which makes the process of joining a motorway or busy roundabout a noisy experience.

Euro NCAP: is the Peugeot 408 a safe car?

The Peugeot 408 received four stars out of five when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2022. Adult occupant protection is rated at 76%, while child occupant performed better at 84%. The 408 was rated at 78% for vulnerable road users, while its safety asset tech was certified at 65% out of 100.

Standard safety equipment on the 408 includes speed limit and traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, rear-view camera and an exterior temperature system that will warn you of icy road conditions.

GT trim adds lane positioning assist while the range-topping GT Premium includes a 360-degree parking camera and a rear cross-traffic alert system that warns you of approaching vehicles when reversing out of a parking space.

Running costs and fuel economy

The hybrid version of the 408 combines a 1.2-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and battery to return up to 58.8mpg. That is competitive against the Renault Rafale (60.1mpg) and Audi Q3 (46.2mpg).

Officially, the 1.6-litre petrol plug-in hybrid model provides 123.8mpg but this figure is based on a full battery charge at the start of each journey.

Charging, range and running costs

The Peugeot E-408 covers up to 283 miles on a full charge, which is better than the Skoda Elroq 60 (265 miles) but behind the 85 model which manages up to 355 miles. The Kia EV6 goes further with an advertised range of 361 miles.

The E-408 has three levels of regenerative braking, activated by plastic paddles behind the steering wheel. The highest level of regeneration allows you to drive the car with just one pedal but the E-408 in GT Premium trim is the only model to get a heat pump as standard.

The plug-in hybrid version of the 408 covers up to 50 miles on a full charge, which is better than the Range Rover Evoque (37 miles) but less than the Cupra Formentor (77 miles) and Skoda Superb which covers over 70 miles.

Range on a charge (WLTP figures)

• Peugeot E-408: 283 miles
• Peugeot 408 Plug-in Hybrid 240: 50 miles

The E-408 has a maximum charging rate of 120kWh, which is behind the Skoda Elroq 85 which manages up to 175kWh. An 11kW onboard AC charger is included as standard.

The E-408's fast charging speed is not spectacular with a rapid 100kW charge (20% to 80%) taking 30 minutes. A 7.4kW wall box will do the same job in four hours and 25 minutes.

The Kia EV6 charges to 80% from a fast charger in just 18 minutes, while the Elroq goes from 10% to 80% in 28 minutes.

The plug-in hybrid version of the 408 gets a 3.7kW charger that takes four hours to fully charge, but this can be upgraded to 7.4kW unit to reduce the charging time to one hour forty minutes.  

Charging speeds

• 11kW charging: 6hr 15min
• 120kW rapid charging (20 to 80% charge): 30 min

How much does the Peugeot 408 cost to insure?

The Peugeot 408 hybrid starts in insurance group 20 in Allure spec, rising to group 22 for GT and GT Premium. The plug-in hybrid version sits in group 30 and 31.

The E-408 Allure sits in group 33 and rises to 34 for the higher GT and GT Premium versions.