The Poor Man’s Lamborghini: Peugeot 408
Year 1998, the French are releasing a new film titled “Taxi.” It was a common occurrence for the French to feature a car like the Peugeot 406, which was widely used as a commercial taxi at that time, in the lead role. The Peugeot 406 in the film was so beautifully modified and praised that, following the success of the first film, the 406 gained a nickname, the “Poor Man’s Ferrari.” The Taxi movie was so well-received that a total of 6 films were made, including 5 different films and 1 remake. While the first three films featured the Peugeot 406, the last two films introduced the Peugeot 407. About 10 years later, Peugeot added a new model to the 400 series, the Peugeot 408. Will the 408 remain subdued like the 407, or will it stand out like the 406?
The trends have changed; cars have grown, risen, and become smarter. Now, cars seem to be becoming copies of each other. But our guest this time is a different vehicle, a true crossover. The Peugeot 408 can be described as a more sportified version of the design language used in the Peugeot 308. While retaining the front face and design lines used in the 308, the plastic claddings, elevated structure, and coupe form of the car create a vehicle of unprecedented beauty by Peugeot engineers. Muscular lines, sharp looks that evoke a feeling of a lion eager to break free from its mold – the Peugeot 408 is perhaps a contender for the most handsome car ever in the C segment.
It sits at the top limit of the C segment in terms of length. With a long hood, abundant character lines, intricately detailed LED Matrix headlights with lion claw accents, and an exceptionally designed front grille, the Peugeot 408 boasts a very aggressive face. This aggressiveness continues when viewed from the side. The triangular-designed glass extension created as a result of the roofline lowering towards the back, the cat ear-shaped pieces on the rear window, and the spoiler function of the high-designed trunk lid are indicators that this design has been worked on both aesthetically and aerodynamically. Doesn’t the fully unpainted lower part of the rear bumper, along with the slenderly designed rear lights, give the car a touch of a rear-engined Lamborghini vibe?
The interior of the 408, which is similar to the 308, features additional legroom due to the elongation of the chassis and reasonably good headroom for a coupe-shaped vehicle. Without a driveshaft tunnel in the rear, and with the use of distinctive details, the 408 manages to differentiate itself from its siblings and convey a premium feel. With a 536-liter boot capacity exceeding C-class expectations, the 408 carries the latest technologies of the Stellantis group. Equipped with features like level 2 autonomous driving, LED Matrix headlights, and Night Vision, the 408 addresses the criticisms previously faced by PSA regarding resolution and camera systems by introducing a new generation 4-camera HD 360-degree camera system. The enhanced and accelerated multimedia system is another detail that simplifies usability. Despite being designed for user-friendly operation, the i-Toggle, which presents the multimedia system’s buttons on a touchscreen, could be a distracting detail. What are your thoughts on the Peugeot 408? Do you think this body type will become more widespread?
