Dynamic and forceful

For years, I have known Peugeot cars to be little ones that cruise around the kingdom zipping through traffic … that was before I discovered the French carmaker’s mainstream sedan mean-machine.

The Peugeot 508 is a mid-sized saloon that boasts a modern exterior and will have passers-by gasping ‘Oh là là’.

The vehicle brings a bit of French chic to car-snob Bahrain with its overly smooth drive, solid build and elegant and spacious interior. The 508 is definitely demanding to be taken seriously on the roads.

The 508 is almost five metres long and is enhanced by the outline of its chrome-edged windows while its lower-level waistline, that runs around the car, added elegance to the dark grey exterior, which when parked in the sunlight had a tint of green, again adding to the car’s unique character.

The drive was extremely relaxing, with an alert driving experience (even along Sitra’s poor road surfaces) with superb steering from it’s multi-function wheel, equipped with a sporty steering column with radio and volume controls, Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control functionality.

The 1.6 litre engine produces 156bhp and 240Nm, coupled to a six-speed tiptronic automatic transmission with steering mounted paddle shifters.

The engine is extremely quiet, with background noise at an absolute minimum, helping the vehicle really feel like the finest of European cars, swiftly cruising the streets.

The 508 has a chrome strip at the rear, adding a one-of-a-kind feature to the handsome vehicle, but it’s the nose of the car pierced with the lion badge that protrudes and gives it the status it deserves.

The floating grille underneath is less distinctive than in any other models but highlights the stylised headlights as the focus. They’re wide and hug around the rounded corners, adding sophistication and elegance.

Yet, it’s the interior that showed the most difference. The design combined modern technology with high-quality materials. The black polished centre console, black leather seats and the touches of chrome throughout enhanced the overall sophisticated and modernistic approach to the vehicle.

It is spacious and comfortable with four-zone air conditioning, automatic electric parking brake, electric-powered seats for the driver and passenger and a big control dial that operates the 7-inch HD multi-function colour screen which features navigation, USB and Bluetooth connectivity.

With the design, performance and comfort, the 508 will be respected as a dynamic and forceful machine by all drivers. Not to mention, through its 10-speaker JBL hi-fi system with a 500W surround sound amplifier Arkamys audio processing, music lovers will definitely appreciate the sound quality.

However, for this driver who is particularly interested in the little things that make a car special, the 508 hit the spot with its colour head-up display unit. When the engine is switched on a small mirrored panel pops up from the dashboard behind the steering wheel showing the driver his/her speed per km as well as the weather conditions. And when the key is taken out of the ignition, it descends back into its shell.

Having said this, the handbrake on the side of the gearbox is extremely long and clumsy. I honestly believe it could have been half the size … but then again, it adds to the minimalistic look.

The car is smooth, and it isn’t just targeting the stylish bachelor, but has the right features and safety elements (six airbags, stability control, parking sensors) to hit rivalling family cars where it hurts.

In short, the 508 is great to look at, lovely to drive and exudes class. It competes with its German rivals in terms of design and comes with a remarkable starting price of BD8,750.
For more information, call Zayani Motors on 17703703.