First off, a word about naming. Peugeot typically reserves three-digit names for cars and four-digit names for crossovers, except for with the 408, which is either a sedan or this crossover depending on market. While the 408 sedan is fine, it’s this crossover that we’re focusing on today. Also, this 408 isn’t a replacement for the old 407, because that was replaced by the 508. No, I don’t know why either. In any case, the 408 crossover slots just above the 3008. Coupe crossovers like the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe are typically driven by people who want the roofline of a fastback sedan without any of the sedan benefits. They’re the vehicular equivalent of Ugg boots as they’re compromised and generally impractical style-first acquisitions. However, the 408 is a little bit different because it comes with one big sedan-style benefit.
Crossovers typically don’t have great drag coefficients and coupe crossovers are no exception. An X6 M Competition has a drag coefficient of 0.37. To the air, it looks like a brick, and to people with eyes, it looks like something terrible happened to the clay model. In contrast, the Peugeot 408 has a drag coefficient of 0.28, the same as a 2009 Honda Insight. In addition, frontal area is relatively small at 0.654 meters squared, which means that it shouldn’t take a ton of energy to push the 408 through the air. What we have here is a liftback sedan with the suspension travel of a crossover, and that’s a more intriguing prospect than a less practical SUV. In fact, the 408 is aerodynamic enough that Peugeot reckons it only needs 128 horsepower on the base trim. Granted, European base-models have always been less powerful than American entry-level engines, but Peugeot might be onto something here. The lightest 408 will weigh 1,396 kg, or just 3,078 pounds, so it shouldn’t be horribly underpowered with the base powertrain. A reasonably light car with a decent drag coefficient and a small engine should also get good fuel economy, so the car-like perks just keep coming. If 128 horsepower isn’t enough for you, Peugeot has you covered with several electrified options. The sensible middle ground comes from the 178-horsepower mid-range 1.6-liter plug-in hybrid powertrain, while a 222-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain sits atop the range.
Oh, and Peugeot’s actually figured out how to design an attractive coupe crossover. Sure, the greenhouse seems to suffer from a bit of Cadillac CT5-itis with what looks like fake windows, but everything else looks quite sharp. The shoulder line is crisp, the color-matched grille is inspired, and the claw-mark daytime running lights work surprisingly well. The complex surfacing on the lower doors is particularly fascinating, almost like waves in a pond. It’s not as conventionally pretty as a 508 sedan, but it’s far classier than its C-segment positioning suggests. Coupe crossovers are a bit of car market madness, but since the French do madness better than anyone else, it’s fitting that Peugeot has made the first coupe crossover that makes sense. It’s a shame the Peugeot 408 is not coming to America, but it should suit the rest of the world nicely. Expect it to go on sale later this year. All photos courtesy of Peugeot I feel the same way about people who call 4-door hatchbacks or the like “5-doors”. Yes, the rear hatch opens up, but no, I don’t classify it with the car doors for entry/exit. Fun wheels though. Shame you’ll only see this car on the standard 17” steelies with a missing hubcap, as is customary. Probably will flop too This is a fastback sedan. It is not a “crossover” or any other kind of “utility” vehicle. It’s a sedan. Period. If you want to call your car an *UV or crossover, then there should be a meaningful difference in ground clearance and/or distance from the ground to the seating surface. Otherwise, it’s a car. And I like them more and more. If I eventually have to buy a crossover b/c no other vehicles with more than 2 doors still exist, I’d prefer something that doesn’t have the SUV height and has the more raked rear hatch.
