Peugeot to debut high-performance 508 Sport Engineered

French carmaker Peugeot has announced that it will develop a range of high-performance vehicles based on partial electrification of petrol engines. Working within the existing Peugeot Sport brand – the crack team behind the 208 and 308 GTi – the brand’s first electrified project is the new 508 sedan.

The 2020 Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered will receive its global debut at next week’s Geneva motor show in Switzerland. Making use of a triple engine setup – one 150kW petrol engine and 82kW electric motor at the front, and an additional 150kW electric motor on the rear axle, the 508 SE will make 500Nm of torque.

Peugeot says that’s good enough for the hi-po 508 to sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds, making it considerably quicker in a straight line than a Mercedes-AMG C43, which, for comparison’s sake, uses a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine (270kW/520Nm).

The shock factor, though, is that the 508 SE has been marked at just 49g/km of CO2 emissions on the new WLTP testing procedure. Electrification is definitely securing a future for performance motoring.

If driven more sedately, the 508 Sport Engineered is rated to deliver 50km of electric-only range by making full use of its 11.8kWh battery. If the Sport driving mode is selected, however, the petrol engine and electric motors work together at speeds up to 190km/h.

Compared to the standard 508 sedan in GT form, the Sport Engineered sits lower to the road and has seen its front track widened by 24mm, while the rear track is 12mm beefier.

Big 380mm ventilated front brakes mean it should stop well, too, while high-end tyres are used in the form of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S sneakers measuring 245/35 R20 at all four corners.

Considerable aesthetic changes are clear from the supplied images. These include a more aggressive bumper and diffuser treatment, additional winglets, ‘Kryptonite’ inserts, and new 20-inch wheels. The chrome treatment from the mainstream 508 range is replaced by gloss black exterior trim.

Inside, the 508 Sport Engineered cabin makes significant use of Alcantara surfacing, which is found on the roof, A-pillars, doors and quarter panels. The steering wheel, too, is trimmed in Alcantara with carbon fibre inserts.

The same 10-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital driver display are retained for the Peugeot ‘i-Cockpit’ infotainment system.

Chasing Cars will be on the ground at the Geneva motor show, and we’ll provide our impressions of the 508 Sport Engineered next week.