Sculpted for visual appeal
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Quality, purity and efficiency at the core of all-new 508 concept
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Balanced and elegant shape articulates a new design language
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Powerful visual identity expresses refinement prestige
The all-new 508, Peugeot’s latest contender in the executive sedan segment, combines compelling design and automotive passion in a contemporary, aspirational four-door sedan that targets a discerning, dynamic and responsible customer base.
With quality, purity and efficiency as the keywords guiding every aspect of the car’s design, the 508’s appeal is multi-faceted, with emotion as a central theme.
Its creators sought to express a balanced shape with streamlined contours, suggesting a vehicle sculpted from a solid entity, and therefore exuding an impression of elegance, robustness and tactile quality.
FREE-FLOWING SHAPE
The contours feature free-flowing lines that run uninterrupted from front to rear, without the need for embellishment. Similarly, the smooth surfaces of the car are emphasised by the absence of windscreen washer jets or external aerials, while flush-fitting panels and precisely calculated shut lines are visible evidence of the 508’s optimal build quality
The Peugeot 508 also epitomises the brand’s revitalised but instantly recognisable identity. The new design language follows the cues first shown on the SR1 concept car, and employs a single, ‘floating’ grille that seems detached from the car’s coachwork. It’s flanked by slim, triangulated headlights.
The extended curve of the aluminium bonnet culminates in the presence of Peugeot’s newly streamlined Lion emblem, carefully positioned at the leading edge of the bonnet’s crisply defined contours..
LED LIGHTING TUBES
The headlight inners are clearly visible behind their clear fairings, and combine chrome-plated and frosted surfaces. Models fitted with directional bi-Xenon headlamps are fitted with daytime running lights that employ so-called lighting tubes, each comprising seven electroluminescent diodes.
The effect is a striking visual signature that’s instantly recognisable, by day and by night. Models using halogen headlamps adopt a new high-performance and compact technology dubbed Neo. It uses a series of lenses that create the impression of cat’s eyes.
LED technology is also employed at the rear, where a row of three LEDs integrated into the tail lights of all 508 models create a striking, claw-like pattern that underlines the sedan’s feline character.
In profile, the 508’s recessed waistline runs the full length of the sedan, emphasising the car’s powerful, elegant presence. The rear treatment is clean and cohesive, with a boot lid that closes perfectly flush with the rear bumper. On GT versions, even the exhaust tailpipes are integrated into the rear panel. A horizontal chrome strip on the boot lid creates a visual accent point.
STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL CREDENTIALS
Environmental efficiency was a core element of the 508 project from the very outset. In design terms, this is primarily expressed in the car’s wind-cheating aerodynamics. The 508 achieves a Cx figure starting from 0,26 and a SCx figure of 0,60.
The 508’s eco credentials are further emphasised by the use of ‘green’ materials to reduce the car’s carbon footprint. About 14,3 percent of the approximately 230 kg of polymers (excluding rubber) employed by the 508 is considered ‘green’. In addition, 85 percent of the mass of the 508 is recyclable, while 95 percent is upgradeable.
The use of latest-generation construction methods and materials has allowed a weight reduction of 25 kg compared to the 407 – this despite an increase in size, and a higher level of standard specification.
OPTIMISED EFFICIENCY
The weight optimisation programme entailed fine-tuning every relevant component, and considering all aspects of the car’s construction. For instance, the 508 features a light but rigid fascia cross member fashioned from magnesium, and an aluminium bonnet. It also benefits from a laser-welded roof, and the use of high-strength steel.
On the subject of size and space, another key objective of the Peugeot 508 design and development team was to recognise the discerning executive car buyer’s growing insistence on timeless, spacious and effective designs that eschew ostentation.
Using the PSA Group’s so-called Platform 3, the design and engineering approach was aimed at achieving the most efficient packaging possible. The wheelbase has been extended by 92 mm compared to the 407, but the front overhang is 43 mm shorter, while the rear overhang has been extended.
2 000 000 KM OF DURABILITY TESTING
The result is a visually balanced shape with strong emotive appeal, and proportions that benefit both aesthetic appeal and aerodynamic efficiency. At the same time, the design ensures generous accommodation for rear occupants, and offers a capacious luggage compartment, thereby boosting the 508’s practicality.
Quality was a further key element of the 508 design brief, with a particular focus on maximum durability, underscored by exquisite exterior and interior finishes.
A real-life road testing programme spanning in excess of two million kilometres was completed to validate overall quality and durability ahead of the 508’s international debut.
