Peugeot have recently introduced the fastback-inspired 408 with the hybrid powertrain to Australia. This sleek looking four door fastback is available in one trim, the GT Premium, giving you a single decision to make, what colour would you like it in?
Mine was finished in Obsession Blue, and it looked stunning! The aqua/turquoise colour really popped with the distinctive front grille design and light signature that extends downward with two LED strips shaped like fangs plunging into the bumper. At the rear, there’s three-claw LED taillights, angled for an even more dynamic appearance. Making me think that the 408 was inspired by the Chartreux cat, the national cat of France, and a rare breed known for its blue-grey coat and orange eyes.
The hybrid 408 is powered by a 1.2 litre, turbo 3-cylinder petrol engine combined with a single electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. The maximum combined power output is 107kW and maximum torque available is 230Nm. This provides modest acceleration with a 0-100km/h time of 9.4 seconds and a top speed of 205km/h. The hybrid system, which charges the battery while decelerating, provides some extra torque and enhances fuel efficiency. The official combined fuel consumption of the 408 Hybrid is 4.7L/100 km and for my week I used 7.4L/100km.
There’s some hesitation from the drivetrain when you initially take off, but it’s smooth once you are moving and the internal combustion engine and battery work well together and the ride is comfortable. You get three drive modes, Sport, Eco, and Normal, where I spend my week with the Peugeot. The six-speed Electrified Dual Clutch System (e-DCS) automatic transmission uses an e-Toggle gear selector switch on centre-console, which offers a clean look.
There is some nice use of materials in the cabin like the matt plastic around the door handles and on the centre console, the green stitching and suede on the door trims. But I’m not sold on the dash design and I dislike the use of gloss black plastic on the steering wheel. I also still find the placement of the steering wheel a little odd in the Peugeot because in order to be able to see the driver’s dash I have to use the manual steering column adjustment to lower the oblong-shaped wheel so that it is almost touching my knees. The configurable 3D looking 10” digital cockpit also takes a bit of getting used to.
The seats are upholstered in Nappa Mistral Leather, a combination of natural and synthetic leather, and are heated for the front seats, as is the steering wheel. Both seats having power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height adjustment and four-way lumbar support. The driver additionally gets front and rear seat height/tilt adjustment and two memory positions.
Cabin storage options in the 408 are good with large sized drink bottle storage cubbies in the front doors and these are lined with fabric to prevent rattles. There’s a deep storage pocket under the split fold arm rest and it does have a vent in it, but I doubt this would cool items very much that were stored under the arm rest. There’s one USB-C port under here and a phone-sized cubby with one USB-C port and one 12V socket located at the front of the centre console with a wireless phone charging pad above this.
The 10” central touch-screen gets bad finger mark, but thankfully there are controls below the screen for some features. You can wirelessly connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on your phone, and the Android Auto worked well for my week with the Peugeot with no drop outs.
The 408 also has natural voice recognition with the option to activate ChatGPT, but the voice control did not work for me for making phone calls, or when I asked it to enter a destination on the sat nav it told me ,“Didn’t get that”. It did work well changing the radio station, which was a blessing because I found it annoying when I was trying to tune it on the screen as I had to slide a dot below the station to what I wanted to tune to.
The rear seats had an adequate amount of leg room for me, but head room was on the tight side and the seats lack under thigh support. There’s no fold down centre seat, but you do get have good sized drink bottle storage in the rear doors although they’re slightly an odd shape. The two rear vents have individual direction and on/off controls and this may be a small point to note, but it offers one less thing for siblings sitting in the back seat to fight over with the ferocity of one of Napoleon’s battles. Below the vents there are also two USB-C ports to keep their devices charged and two ISOFix/three rear tether child seat restraint points for younger occupants.
The fastback boot lid has gesture open and close boot or it can be operated from the external button, key fob, or button in the cabin. What it doesn’t have is a rear windscreen wiper and it needs this to clear the rear screen. The boot space is a good size and has four substantial tie down points, two hooks, two lights, and one 12V socket. The tyre repair kit located under the boot floor and there’s a handy hook to hold the boot floor up while you’re accessing it. If more space is needed the rear seats have a 60/40 split fold mechanism with the release located on the seat shoulders, but they do not lay flat when you lower them.
The Peugeot 408 has a 4-star ANCAP (2022) safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 79% and a Child Occupant Protection score of 86%. Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard. As is Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) (Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User and Junction Assist), adaptive cruise control, as well as a lane support system (LSS) with lane keep assist, lane departure warning and emergency lane keeping (ELK), but it does not have blind spot monitoring. For convenience the 408 has a standard rear-view reversing camera combined with a 360-degree camera with front and rear sensors, and auto lights and wipers, but no auto high beam.
ANCAP tests of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance, with collisions avoided or mitigated in all scenarios, including AEB Junction Assist where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle or pedestrian. ANCAP tests of LSS functionality showed some GOOD performance, including in several of the more critical emergency lane keeping test scenarios. A more advanced system with ELK Overtaking functionality is standard on all variants in Australia and New Zealand, but its performance has not been tested. The overall Safety Assist score from ANCAP for the 408 is 82%.
The Peugeot 408 Hybrid has a 5 year/ Unlimited KM Warranty and comes with complimentary 5-Year Roadside Assistance. The service interval is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and owners can purchase a Pre-Paid Service Plan for three years ($1,100), four years ($1,680), or five years ($1,950) that offer savings compared to pay as you go servicing costs.
At the time of testing the Peugeot 408 GT Premium Hybrid was priced at $63,890 driveaway. But now’s your chance to experience this sophisticated Fastback Hybrid in Obsession Blue for just $60,680 driveaway in NSW. Simply purchase and take delivery by 30th November 2025 to unlock this exclusive offer. You can Build and Price your 408 online or visit your preferred Peugeot dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| Stylish design features | The steering wheel placement |
| The comfortable ride | No blind spot monitoring |
| The hook to hold the boot floor up | Needs a rear windscreen wiper |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.