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High-performance sedans used to be a thing in the early ’90s. Remember the Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 and Subaru Legacy RS? Sadly, there isn’t a significant market for high-performance executive sedans these days.
Despite that, manufacturers are still trying, and the latest is Peugeot. They have just launched their latest sports sedan, the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered, also known as the 508 PSE. Not only is it a high-performance sedan, it is also a plug-in sports hybrid.
A look at the statistics, you could tell that it is impressive. According to Peugeot, its high-performance green sedan accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in just 5.2 seconds. The maximum speed is regulated at 250 km / h. It may be slower off the line than cars like the BMW M340i xDrive and Mercedes-AMG C43, but electric motors help propel the 508 PSE from 80 to 120 km / h in just three seconds. That makes this French salon faster than the Germans. Did we mention that the 508 PSE is also available as a pickup?
So how does it deliver that performance? The 508 PSE uses a 1.6-liter turbo engine that generates 200 PS and 300 Nm of torque. Those numbers sound good already, but a couple of electric motors boost performance even more. The engine at the front produces 81 kW, while the one at the rear produces 83 kW. With the motor and the electric drive system working together, the 508 PSE produces 360 PS and 520 Nm of torque.
Keeping the 508 PSE on the road is its all-wheel drive system. The gasoline engine sends power to the front and the rear electric motor charges the rear wheels. There are also several accompanying chassis updates. It has adaptive suspension with three modes, a wider track at the front and rear, massive brakes at each corner, and a set of 20-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.
But this is the interesting thing about the 508 PSE. Despite having 360 PS and acceleration figures that can scare sports cars, Peugeot claims that it is frugal on fuel. According to the manufacturer, this saloon can reach up to 49 kilometers per liter. Not only that, but the automaker also says it can go up to 42 kilometers on electric power.
The chances of the 508 PSE landing here are slim. We don’t even have the standard 508 here so we don’t have the PSE home debut. Still, it’s good to see manufacturers add a dose of adrenaline to their executive sedans. Peugeot doing this with the 508 is like Honda making an Accord Type R, or Toyota building a GR Camry. On second thought, maybe Toyota and Honda should do it with their midsize sedans.
The launch of the 508 PSE also coincided with the 210th anniversary of the Peugeot brand; a company that started making all kinds of great products (which they still make) before even switching to driving.
