The Peugeot High Performance Plug-in Hybrid, the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered, introduced last March, will be produced. The news was confirmed by Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of the Peugeot brand, for Automotive News Europe.
The good news is that the 508 PSE will be the first series-produced Peugeot to deliver more than 300 horsepower. Still, it will be weaker than the study car, with the all-wheel-drive sports model offering 360 horsepower, compared to the 300 horsepower of the same powertrain (see Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4). In exchange, however, it will be offered as a combo, which is particularly exciting.
It is not known whether other details of the 508 PSE, like the engine, will be restrained from the study. The latter's chassis was seated, the track width was widened, and the steering was tuned for more direct feedback and accurate reactions. The 20-inch wheels are tensioned with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S sports tires, and deceleration is provided by 380 mm front brake discs and four-piston saddles. It is inherent to the sanity of the designers that even the study abandoned the sizeable rear wing, which would have disrupted the harmonious unity of the design; rather, the proper clamping force was produced by means of a diffuser on the rear floor panel.
However, one thing we need to be prepared for in spirit: PSE will take the place of GTI in the brand offering. Imparato justified this by saying that in the era of electrified cars, it would be utterly unreliable to develop top-of-the-line models or racing cars with pure combustion engines.
We are pleased to see the arrival of the 508 PSE, of course, but the real question is not whether the Peugeot E-Legend retro coupe will be manufactured? “This would require an investment of about a quarter billion euros. At the moment, electrical switching is a priority for the company; if we did, we'll see if the study can be paid off - I'll never put a car on the market where we're losing money. But as far as the concept is concerned, yes, absolutely, the car can be built, ”said Jean-Philippe Imparato.
(Source: vadess.hu / Photo: pixabay.com)