Reviews of Peugeot 408 in the West
- Source: Agencies
- [21:57 July 26 2010]
- Comments
Extior of Peugeot 408 - the West
Autocar.co.uk
The Peugeot 408, the company's replacement for the 407, will be more conservatively styled and less of a visual leap forward than its predecessor, Autocar can reveal. Under the skin is an all-new chassis, based on that which underpins Citroen's latest C5.
The car will be more evolutionary in its looks than the step from 406 to 407, said a company insider.
However, it is understood that the design will have eye-catching detailing and "hard-edged" looks that will help it stand out from other mid-sized saloons.
Autodrum.com
Harmonious, Dynamic and Exclusive Styling
The guiding spirit for Peugeot design stylists can be summed up in very few words: harmony, elegance and dynamism. For the 408, the overarching desire was to instill it with balanced proportions and simple, flowing volumes as foundations on which the designers have succeeded in sculpting subtly sleek, pure and sensual lines.
The front of the 408 bears the recognisable traits of the Lion Marque. Accordingly, the particularly feline headlights stretch harmoniously across the bonnet. The headlight units each comprise four technically advanced and image-enhancing light shafts to serve as bright and piercing eyes.
The 408's asserted personality is also evident in its radiator grille, equipped with thin chrome strips, and in the shape of its fog lights, with the ensemble contributing to creating a visually wider effect for the car, suggesting a vehicle "glued to the road".
Two central ribs run around bonnet to extend the effect of the Lion's chromed surround. The highly sculptured bonnet lines marked by the design of the headlights flow naturally into the front body pillars of the wide, forward-sloping windscreen. These flowing lines continue right to the rear of car, before ending in a spoiler subtly integrated into the boot space.
Special attention has been paid to modeling the sides of the 408. The carved wheel arches, the plunging body line between the tip of the rear light clusters to the front wing, the side windows and the sunken rear window glass surface treatment and the junction line between the rear quarter panel and the boot… all contribute to the image of a dynamic, modern and robust vehicle.
At the rear, the flowing lines and the wraparound rear bumper visually highlight the vehicle's generous "hind quarters" and contribute to the effect of it being "glued" it to the tarmac.
The rear light design blends harmoniously with the car's boot. The ruby red coloured lights are trimmed with a clear white strip that hints at a lion's claw within the cluster. At night, they take on the form of three diagonal strips, as a tribute to the styling details of some of the Marque's historic models (307 CC, 504 Coupé and Cabriolet).
Finally, every detail, every part visible on the vehicle has been styled to contribute to its elegance and perceived quality. Accordingly, the colour of the protective trim, set in chrome, matches the body colour, with the ensemble further enhancing the car's luxury appearance. In the same manner, the absence of any visible external aerial, as it is built into the rear window, contributes to this saloon's pure body lines.
All in all, the 408 displays flowing and original styling that combines dynamism with presence and elegance with modernity. Moreover, its promises hitherto unavailable experiences in terms of the quality of life onboard and driving pleasure.
Topspeed.com
Peugeot is preparing to replace the current 407. Its successor, the 408 will be revealed in December 2009 and according to the French Magazine Auto Journal might look like this. The 408 will share the same platform as the current Citroen C5, but will clearly have its own identity.
Jerome Gallix, Peugeot's design directory declared, "The new Peugeot will still be dynamic, but will feature a simpler design, more harmonious and more balanced." Translation: the 408 will be a revised car on the old car's platform.
