If Peugeot were a High Street store, which would it be?’ I asked the French car maker’s CEO Alain Favey at the launch of its new 408 fastback crossover saloon near Marseille.
Favey, who has been in charge of Peugeot since last year, had no doubt about his answer. ‘John Lewis,’ he said.
But why aspire to parallels with Middle Britain’s favourite shopping chain with the famous slogan: ‘Never knowingly undersold’?
The Frenchman got to know (and love) John Lewis and its food arm, Waitrose, during stints working in Britain – first running Citroen, and then as sales and marketing director at British luxury carmaker Bentley, in Crewe.
He said: ‘John Lewis stands for quality – both in its products and the customer experience. Peugeot is not a luxury brand like Bentley. It’s not Fortnum & Mason. It’s not aiming to compete with BMW or Audi either – but it is a high-quality brand in its market. I would be happy for Peugeot to be the John Lewis of automobiles.’
Priced from £31,995, the striking new 408 is available in three powertrains, from a ‘fully electrified’ line up: pure electric, plug-in hybrid and self-charging hybrid. There are three trim levels: Allure, GT and GT Premium. Exterior tweaks include a more assertive stance, redesigned grille and bumper, daytime running lights and, on GT and GT Premium variants, an illuminated Peugeot shield and front grille.
Touch of flare: Ray with the 408 in its new green paint, which changes colour in the light
As standard, there is also a new Flare Green paint, which changes colour in the light, at no extra cost.
Inside it offers a high-tech, but comfortably furnished, lounge-like interior that includes new seat fabric, an updated instrument panel, improved driver support from cameras and a decent-sized practical boot.
I spent the most time driving the all-electric, 210hp E-408, powered by a 58kWh battery, with a range of up to 283 miles on one charge.
It accelerates briskly from 0 to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds, up to a top speed governed at 99mph. Three levels of regenerative braking are available via the steering wheel-mounted paddles. Prices for the range start from £31,995 for the self-charging hybrid in Allure trim, rising to £34,495 as a GT and £36,795 in GT Premium trim.
The plug-in hybrid starts from £38,495 in basic Allure trim, rising to £40,995 as GT and £43,895 as GT Premium – the most expensive option available.
Courtesy of a £1,500 taxpayer funded electric vehicle subsidy, the fully electric version of the Peugeot 408 is cheaper, starting from £32,695 in Allure trim (down from £34,195); £35,095 in GT trim (down from £36,595); and £37,595 for the top-of-the-range GT Premium (down from £39,095).
Never knowingly undersold? You be the judge.
The Peugeot 408 accelerates briskly from 0 to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds, up to a top speed governed at 99mph
Inside it offers a high-tech, but comfortably furnished, lounge-like interior that includes new seat fabric, an updated instrument panel and improved driver support from cameras
A 16.2kW traction battery enables up to 50 miles of zero-emission electric-only range
The generous boot offers up to 536 litres of load lugging space with the rear seats in place
The boot expands to 1,611 litres with the 60:40 split rear bench folded down
I took a shorter trip in the recently-launched second generation plug-in hybrid variant which combines a 1.6L petrol engine and a 92kW electric motor linked to a 7-speed automatic gearbox with a dual shift clutch.
The combined 240hp of power allows the PHEV to accelerate from rest to 62mph in 7.5 seconds up to a speed of 144mph.
A 16.2kW traction battery enables up to 50 miles of zero-emission electric-only range.
The 145hp self-charging hybrid version mates a frugal 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a dual clutch 6-speed automatic electrified gearbox draws on a 0.9kWh 48V lithium ion battery under the passenger seat and a 16kW electric motor integrated into the gearbox to accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 9.4 seconds up to a top speed of 127mph. Pure electric driving is limited to just 0.6 of a mile at low speed and gentle driving such as in slow moving urban commuter traffic.
But fuel economy is up to 56.5mpg.
The generous boot offers up to 536 litres of load lugging space with the rear seats in place, expanding to 1,611 litres with the 60:40 split rear bench folded down.
Standard kit on the entry-level Allure trim includes 19-inch alloy wheels. Dark-tinted rear windows, full LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, a 10-inch instrument panel and central touchscreen.
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GT trim adds features including an illuminated front grille and Peugeot emblem, electric tailgate, front parking sensors, a driver sport pack.
GT premium adds 20-inch wheels on PHEV models, upgraded Alcantara interior and seats, 3-stage heated front seats, 4-way lumbar adjustment for driver and passenger, a foot motion-activated ‘smart’ tailgate, heated steering wheel, a more powerful 7.4kW on-board EV charger, and a 3D digital instrument panel.
The 408 launch, which included some cinematic driving routes, took place in and around Marseille (the backdrop for the famous 1970s movie ‘The French Connection’ starring Gene Hackman) as Peugeot struck a partnership with French film giant Pathé – a name best known in the UK for its legendary Pathé News film reels of yesteryear – so I couldn’t resist a bit of on-set posing with my car as we made one of our pit stops at a film studio.
If you are tempted by this latest offering from the ‘John Lewis of automobiles’, remember that our well-remunerated Members of Parliament choose taxpayer subsidised furniture and fittings for their own second-home properties using what is known, and officially sanctioned, in Westminster as ‘the John Lewis list.’
They certainly know a good thing when they see it.
So, in the wake of this week’s local government election turmoil, consider this: if it’s good enough for our political masters at Westminster, it must be good enough for us humble (though take us for granted at your peril ) voters too.
But does the new Peugeot 408 family fastback pass Peugeot chief executive Alain Favey’s own John Lewis test?
In my view the sophisticated new Peugeot 408 certainly does fit into the spirit of that upper middle market John Lewis niche that spells high quality products. Pricing, while not cheap, does offer good value for money without being bargain basement.
So if you are shopping for a new car, it’s definitely worth a browse.
