The reason I picked this Peugeot is clear in these pictures: it’s stunning, particularly in Flare Green, which remarkably is a standard colour with the top GT Premium trim. I haven’t driven another car in the past five years that has drawn more positive comments.
What also appealed to me about the E-408 is that it’s a rare car from an increasingly rare brand. I like to do things differently from the masses, so a car that’s not from one of the top-selling marques immediately attracts me.
Mind you, the Peugeot also does all the regular family car things very well. Despite those racy lines, there’s plenty of room inside for myself, my wife and my 12-year-old daughter. And, although we haven’t properly put it to the test yet, a boot capacity of 471 litres should be more than enough for us.
I also like the high-class feel inside, with details such as green stitching on the seats, plus a mix of leather and Alcantara. The level of customisation is good, too, but now that I’ve set everything to my liking, it’ll stay like that.
Initial driving impressions are positive. There’s more than enough performance for my needs and the slight firmness to the ride around town gives way to a smoother feel at higher speeds. I’m also impressed with average efficiency of 4.0mi/kWh so far and the fact that I can turn off some of the more irritating assistance features with one press of a button.
Above all, I’m interested to see how I’ll cope with Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout. I’m more than six foot tall and haven’t liked the arrangement in previous Peugeots I’ve driven, but the good news is that – after a few days of trial and error – I managed to juggle the driver’s seat and steering wheel into a driving position that I’m comfortable with.
