The Peugeot 508: A Beautiful Contradiction

Like a sporty tomboy woman in full make-up and a long chic dress, the Peugeot 508 breaks stereotypes. 

It is not unusual to find diesel engines underneath rugged SUVs such as all terrain four-wheel drive vehicles and pickup trucks. But for sexy, elegant sedans, a gasoline engine is often expected. This is where the Peugeot 508 will surprise you.

The Peugeot 508 is a 4.79-meter-long, 1.85-meter-wide executive sedan with a sleek and elegant outside appearance. Motivating the 508 is a powerful diesel engine that is perhaps something to be expected underneath the hood of an SUV—a 115-hp turbo-diesel (for the 1.6 eHDi Active or Allure), or a 204-hp turbo-diesel (for the 2.0 HDi Allure or 2.2 HDi GT). 

The 508 can be driven with a 6-speed automatically controlled manual transmission (ACMT) or a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.  The ACMT gives drivers more control by permitting manual gear selection, without the need to use a clutch pedal. Using the automated mode enables an electronic management system that optimizes gear-shifting time. 

What makes the 508 more appealing is its similarity to an attractive woman who doesn’t spend or demand a lot of money for upkeep (think of a woman you don’t have to constantly wine and dine in expensive restaurants, or one who doesn’t spend too much money on buying nice clothes or going to the salon). 

The 508 won’t drain your wallet for fuel expenses. Its transmission and diesel engine combine to deliver fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions. A friend who bought a 508 said that after a week of using it, she called the dealer to ask why the car didn’t seem to need refueling. I don’t know how long or far that friend travelled with the 508 for that week, but its low fuel consumption was designed to average 10 to 12 km per liter on the 204-hp turbo-diesel (which is the 508 variant I drove around).

In the Philippines, European cars are known for being high-maintenance, particularly when it comes to after-sales service or parts replacement. Peugeot attempts to change this perception for their brand. The marque offers relatively lower price points for their cars’ parts and services, according to Dong Magsajo (Marketing & Communications Director of Peugeot importer/distributor Eurobrands Distributor Inc.). For a car brand that is still a rookie in the Philippines, Peugeot also tries to make service centers widely available by now having nine service centers all over the country after it officially reentered the Philippine market less than two years ago (in 2012).

Going back to the 508, it walks like an elegant woman too. The ride is smooth and the handling is precise. But like a prim and proper lady that will catch you off-guard when you hear her burp, the sound of the 508 is a giveaway of the diesel engine that lies beneath it. The 508 sounds like a diesel SUV.

However, something that can make me overlook the 508’s rugged diesel sound (apart from its outside appearance and fuel efficiency which, to me, are the exceptional traits of this car) is the massage function available in the 2.0 HDi Allure’s leather front seats. 

The prices for the Peugeot 508 (whether it’s the 1.6 eHDi Active or Allure, or the 2.0 HDi Allure or 2.2 HDi GT) are affordable—I’d even dare say cheap—compared to its counterparts in other luxury car brands. So owning a Peugeot 508 is not much of a challenge, but pronouncing or spelling its name might be.  

While I learned to speak a little French from my University days, I sometimes catch myself thinking twice when trying to spell “Peugeot.” By the way, for those of you wondering (and I’m sure my father is, if he’s reading this article now)—it’s pronounced “Peuh-joe.” That’s how I pronounce it anyway. But just to give you an idea why the name may be controversially challenging, there are several online debates offering a variety of ways on how to pronounce Peugeot: “Per-joe,” “Pew-joe,” “pooZHO,” “PYOOzho,” “Purr-joe.” Good thing spelling and pronunciations are not important to driving.

Karen Jimeno is a junior partner at Jimeno Cope & David Law Firm and a law professor in various law schools. She is also a TV host for LegalHD at Solar News Channel. She graduated from UP Law School and Harvard Law School and is licensed to practice law in the Philippines and in New York. She is currently the Director for Communications & External Affairs of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation & Recovery of Yolanda-affected areas.