Petrol-electric hybrids continue to impress.
French carmaker Peugeot might still be winning praise for its radically-reimagined 508 saloon, but it seems that there’s still more for the new car to give. Come next year, a plug-in hybrid version of the 508 will arrive to not only offer better efficiency, but also greater performance, it’s been reported.
The 508 PHEV will pair the existing 1.6-litre THP petrol mill that’ll power the front wheels, while a rear-mounted electric motor will power the rear wheels, making for a PHEV setup that we’re pretty sure we’ve seen before. The petrol mill at the front (which will feature a starter motor) will put out a healthy 147kW while the rear motor, mated to a lithium-ion battery, will produce another 74kW for a combined output of 221kW (estimated).
What will perhaps be of more interest is the placement of that battery: It’ll go under the boot floor, which means that cargo space will not be compromised by going for the PHEV. You might lose the space-saver spare, though.
Transmission duties for the combustion mill will be the same ZF 8-speeder as the standard car, though the rear electric motor will put its power down through reduction gearing. Some 50km of all-electric range ought to be achievable on a full charge according to Autocar, which will be useful in the daily commute.
After the 508, the same dual-engine setup (don’t call it a Twin Engine) will eventually find its way to other cars that share the EMP2 platform with the 508. Likely candidates for this drivetrain include the 3008 and 5008 SUVs, as well as the DS7 Crossback. Far from the only variant due next year, the 508 is set to gain a GTi model, powered by the same 1.6-litre mill out of the 308 GTi hatch. Should be fun times ahead for this French marque.
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