Peugeot 508 Vs Volkswagen Arteon
Not too long ago, a large family car was rarely an object of desire; it was built to carry a family in comfort at an affordable price. Few were handsome or stylish, and following the rise of the SUV, they鈥檝e faced a tough test. But now there鈥檚 a group of sleek family cars fighting back. Peugeot鈥檚 new 508 Fastback is the latest challenger and it鈥檚 targeting premium rivals such as the Volkswagen Arteon. When we tested the mid-spec diesel 508 (Issue 1,546), it fell behind rivals because it was pricier. However, here we鈥檝e lined up the more upmarket VW Arteon in petrol automatic form to see how well the Peugeot compares. Both cars鈥?sporty looks are matched by the trim levels we鈥檙e testing them in, GT Line and R-Line respectively, and with petrol engines, buyers will expect them to be good to drive, too. But which is the better all-rounder?
The new 508 Fastback has a clear focus on sharp looks and an upmarket interior, but is that enough to win here? We鈥檙e testing the GT Line version, which costs from 拢31,239 with the 179bhp PureTech petrol engine and an automatic gearbox. With its bold grille and prominent headlights and tail-lamps, the 508 is one of the most distinctive cars in its sector, and is quite clearly born of the same design language as its sister 3008 and 5008 SUVs. In this class, it is only really rivalled by the Arteon. It uses MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear suspension, matching its rival here, and like the VW it is also available with adaptive suspension. However, on this PureTech 180 model, the suspension is passive as standard, with the adaptive set-up an 拢820 option. At 拢31,239, it鈥檚 cheaper than the 拢34,590 Arteon in equivalent R-Line trim. That puts the Peugeot at an advantage when it comes to value for money, because standard kit is generous in GT Line spec.
Satellite-navigation is included, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, climate and cruise control, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, front and rear parking sensors and autonomous braking. There鈥檚 also wireless phone charging, LED lights, keyless go and a reversing camera. It鈥檚 slightly better equipped than its rival because the latter two are extra on the VW. Material quality in the 508 isn鈥檛 quite as good as in the VW, though, with some shiny plastic surfaces that attract fingerprints and feel a bit cheap. But that鈥檚 offset by the fabric on the doors and dashboard, which is very upmarket. Also, the 508鈥檚 cabin has a very attractive design that is centred upon the large 10-inch touchscreen infotainment display. Unfortunately, one aspect of the interior that doesn鈥檛 quite work is the driving position. The tiny steering wheel that sits below the digital dash is set too low and it feels unnatural in a large car like this. While the i-Cockpit layout is effective in models such as the 3008, where the seat is set high up, it frustrates here, particularly for tall drivers.
The 508 deals with most road surfaces pretty well, and in Comfort mode is almost as relaxed as the Arteon is on adaptive dampers. Going over big potholes is harsher in the Peugeot than in the VW, but both cars mask undulations in the tarmac and smaller bumps nicely on the motorway. Its 1.6-litre petrol engine is well isolated from the cabin, too, so it鈥檚 refined at speed. The French model鈥檚 gearbox slurs its shifts more than the VW and is better for it much of the time. While both cars look like they might have a saloon boot, they鈥檙e actually hatchbacks. There鈥檚 a similar amount of space in both at first glance, but the stats reveal that the 508鈥檚 487-litre luggage space is the smaller of the two, because the VW has 563 litres available. Both are easy enough to load, thanks to their wide openings. The Peugeot also falls behind the Volkswagen for rear passenger space, because there鈥檚 not as much head or legroom. Both cars are spacious enough for adults to sit comfortably, however, but their sloping rooflines result in smaller rear windows, so there鈥檚 not much light in the back.