THE LION’S SHARE

Peugeot’s 508 estate adds practicality without sacrificing its fantastic looks,

Peugeot adds practicality without sacrificing looks

I’m a sucker for an estate car – always have been – and I can’t think of a saloon or hatchback that hasn’t been improved by the addition of a station wagon-style back end.

The Peugeot 508 is no exception. In fastback form it is one of the most stylish and attractive models in its class, and the SW is even better looking. The front end retains the bold, broad face with narrow headlights and the vertical daytime running lights flank the grille like the fangs of a sabretoothed tiger (or lion, if we’re staying on-brand).

At the rear, the fast back’ s severely raked roof line is replaced by a longer, gently sweeping form that falls halfway between a traditional estate and the increasingly popular shooting brake. Peugeot’s trademark “claw” rear lights spread out towards the centre of the tailgate along a gloss black strip and the Peugeot script stretched out beneath the rear windscreen is – like the 508 bonnet text – a tasteful nod to historic design.

Until now I’ ve been convinced that the Volvo V60 is the best looking estate on the market, now I’m not so sure.

The 508 SW is as impressive inside with perhaps the best interpretation of the i-cockpit concept. It’s fussier than the minimalist style of the Volvo, but uses a nice blend of highgloss plastics, chrome detail and carbon fibre-effect trim to offer something unique.

The configurable instrument display is well thought out, but the media/nav setup remains a real weakness of all Peugeots.

Of course, style will get you so far, but there needs to be substance beneath it. Here the 508 SW impresses as much as the fastback.

The line-up features four regular trim levels plus a limitedrun First Edition, with three diesel and two petrol engines.

All models come with cruise control, lane keep assist, dualzone climate control, the 12.3inch digital i-cockpit instruments, touch screen media system with internet connectivity, Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

However, in higher trim levels, advanced technology such as a night vision system, adaptive cruise control, full LED lighting and wireless charging join Nappa leather, a 10 -inch touch screen, key less entry and various interior and exterior design embellishments.

The 508 SW is available with a 129bhp 1.5-litre diesel with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed auto gearbox.

All other variants – the 2.0 diesel in 157 bhpor 177bhp tune or 1.6 petrol in 177bhp or 222bhp – come with the auto as standard.

The 129bhp diesel does feel down on power compared with the larger 178bhp 2.0, but not by as much as you would expect, and it’ s a match in terms of refinement.

The 178bhp unit is smooth and quiet and well suited to the car, although the equivalent 1.6 petrol is expected to be the big seller.

For a driver who rarely carries passengers or luggage the small diesel might be fine, but if you use the SW as intended the extra power and torque of the larger units will be welcome.

Using the 508 SW as a proper estate, you’ll find a 530-litre boot that extends to 1,780l with the rear seats down. Higher grade models get boot rails and a configurable tie-down system and a power tailgate is standard on GT trim.

The less angular roof means rear headroom is much better than the fastback’s (a real weakness) and leg room is decent, although you’ll struggle to fit three adults across the rear bench.

It’s not all good news. While the interior design is appealing, our test cars exhibited a couple of small build quality issues. And while the sloping tailgate looks good from outside, it do es give a more restricted rear view from the driver’s seat. The small rear three-quarter windows are also tiny and almost completely obscured by the chunky head rests, hampering overthe-shoulder visibility.

On the road the SW exhibits the same easygoing manner of the fastback. It isn’t as dynamic as the premium models it aims to compete with but it’s composed enough under spirited driving and smooth and easygoing when you just want to eat up the miles.

The 508 SW isn’t perfect and compared with the premium brands there are a couple of areas where it struggles – fit and finish and infotainment, mostly. However, it’s still stylish, advanced and practical enough to be worth considering either as a cheaper alternative to them or a more upmarket rival to the Ford Mondeo, Skoda Superb or VW Passat.