Peugeot has discreetly put an end to the sporty version of the 508, equipped with a 360 hp plug-in hybrid engine.
We had noticed it by taking inventory of the promotions of at least February: the 508 is no longer offered as a rechargeable hybrid. But this is a temporary stop. This type of engine will be back soon, on the occasion of the restyling of the Peugeot family, planned for this summer.
On the other hand, a 508 plug-in will not make a comeback: the PSE. Our colleagues from the Argus announce that Peugeot has decided to end the sports version of its sedan (and its station wagon). While Renault released drums and trumpets to announce the end of the Mégane RS, the ultimate representative of the Renault Sport label, the Lion therefore discreetly buried the first PSE.
PSE, for Peugeot Sport Engineered, a new label created to take over from GTI. If Peugeot changed its sports label, it was to mark the start of a new era, that of electrified sports cars. The 508 PSE therefore combined a 200 hp 1.6 petrol engine with two electric units, including one on the rear axle for four-wheel drive. The maximum cumulative power was 360 hp.
If the 508 PSE is dismissed, it is for lack of sales. In the spring of 2022, Peugeot was still pleased to have exceeded the milestone of 2,000 units produced. The goal was not to make large volumes, it is a niche product, but the level of sales was becoming low: the Argus points out that only 314 copies were sold last year in France.
Is the PSE label stillborn? For the moment, no other PSE is announced. The project for a sports electric 208 has been abandoned, no muscular 308 is on the agenda.
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