The Peugeot 408 debuted last year and should be on sale now in Europe. The high-ridding model sports a funky, fastback-looking design, blurring the line between car and crossover. It noticeably sits high off the ground, affecting how it handles, something km77.com examines with the moose test in the video above.
The 408 is available with a variety of powertrains. Peugeot offers it with two plug-in hybrid choices making either 150 or 180 horsepower depending on the tune. The automaker also offers the high-riding model with an entry-level 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that makes 130 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque, which is the engine powering the Peugeot in the video above. It sends the power to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Peugeot's first test was the slalom, which the 408 completed in 25.9 seconds. The time is between the Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography and Nissan Ariya and X-Trial, which needed n 26.1 and 25.5 seconds, respectively.
The 408’s best attempt at the moose test happened at 72 kilometers per hour (44.74 miles per hour). It exited the course at a high 44 kph (27.34 mph). Attempts to complete the test at higher speeds failed as the model began snuffing out cones at 75 kph (46.60 mph). RIP. The channel tested the Alpine A110 in March, which completed the moose test at 80 kph (51.57 mph). The Alpine completed the slalom in a record-setting 21.6 seconds.
The 408 completed the tests with its skinny 205/55 R19 Michelin e-Primacy tires. Wider, sportier tires would have allowed the Peugeot to perform better, but its 73 kph speed was quite satisfactory to km77.com.
It would be interesting to see the test again with the other hybrid powertrains. The electric motor and battery would add weight and could change the 408’s handling characteristics. The automaker is working on a purely electric version that would again change how it could handle, but that’s not expected to arrive until a few months after the ICE and hybrid versions go on sale.
