Peugeot 408 GT vs VW cc | Howards Peugeot News
Go Back
  • New Peugeot 408 GT Has VW In Its Sights
  • 04 June 2015
    Facebook Icon
    Twitter Icon

    New Peugeot 408 GT Has VW In Its Sights

    The new Peugeot 408 GT is the latest incarnation of the French company’s desire to move upmarket.

The new Peugeot 408 GT is the latest incarnation of the French company’s desire to move upmarket. With this new executive model planned for 2016, Peugeot is clearly putting models such as the VW CC in its sights and pulling the trigger. But is it a direct hit?

The four-door coupe market is a swish and slick one that’s seen the rise of delicious models such as the Mercedes CLA, the Volkswagen CC and the Audi A5 Sportback. Now the 408 GT wants a piece of the action.

Style and distinctive looks are the keys here. But the Beijing Motor Show of 2014 did give us a glimpse of what kind of statement Peugeot intended to make with its vehicles. The firm unveiled the Exalt concept, a striking coupe with more in common with Aston Martin than PSA Peugeot-Citroen.

While not as uninhibited design-wise as the Exalt, the Peugeot 408 certainly makes a bold and beautiful statement. Arches are flared in anger and the claw-shaped LED headlights seem to come with a mischievous glint. Overhangs are short, there’s a sexy roofline and the C-pillar is reassuringly substantial.

German motoring website Auto Bild is reporting that the 408 GT is a done deal, with production set for next year. It makes sense for Peugeot to move into this sector, and Peugeot General Director Maxime Picat declared at the launch of the Exalt that “this kind of saloon segment is key”.

There were further hints at Peugeot’s intentions at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year, where the French car maker unveiled the 308 S, a saloon version of the hatchback. That suggests that the 408 name will continue as the GT. There’s a strong customer base for models like this in China, so that might be the main target, but sales in the UK could well happen.

Technically speaking, the running gear needed to breathe life into the concept already exists. Peugeot would use the EMP2 platform from the 308, making the PureTech and BlueHDi diesels a good fit.

The petrol version of the 408GT should deliver around 270bhp from a 1.6-litre turbo, while the diesel models should range from 120bhp to 180bhp. 

Autocar reports that, with emissions regulations getting tougher, Peugeot’s mainstream models will all be ‘hybridised’. The 408 GT might be the first model to receive the technology, as the Exalt concept exhibited a 335bhp hybrid unit comprising a 1.6-litre turbo combined with a rear-axle-mounted electric motor.

To test drive any of the current Peugeot range, head down to Howards Group showrooms in Dorchester, Yeovil, Taunton or Weston-Super-Mare.

  • Receive our latest news and offers:
    Don’t worry we won’t bombard you with emails and you can refine your preferences at any time.

  • SUBSCRIBE
Reputation Reviews
  • Howard Garages (Weston) Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Automotive Compliance Ltd, who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No 497010). Automotive Compliance Ltd’s permissions as a Principal Firm allows Howard Garages (Weston) Ltd to act as a credit broker, not as a lender, for the introduction to a limited number of lenders and to act as an agent on behalf of the insurer for insurance distribution activities only. Company Number: 1108986

    We can introduce you to a selected panel of lenders, which includes manufacturer lenders linked directly to the franchises that we represent. An introduction to a lender does not amount to independent financial advice and we act as their agent for this introduction. Our approach is to introduce you first to the manufacturer lender linked directly to the particular franchise you are purchasing your vehicle from, who are usually able to offer the best available package for you, taking into account both interest rates and other contributions. If they are unable to make you an offer of finance, we then seek to introduce you to whichever of the other lenders on our panel is able to make the next best offer of finance for you. Our aim is to secure the best deal you are eligible for from our panel of lenders. Lenders may pay a fixed commission to us for introducing you to them, calculated by reference to the vehicle model or amount you borrow. Different lenders may pay different commissions for such introductions, and manufacturer lenders linked directly to the franchises that we represent may also provide preferential rates to us for the funding of our vehicle stock and also provide financial support for our training and marketing. But any such amounts they and other lenders pay us will not affect the amounts you pay under your finance agreement, all of which are set by the lender concerned. If you ask us what the amount of commission is, we will tell you in good time before the Finance agreement is executed. All finance applications are subject to status, terms and conditions apply, UK residents only, 18’s or over. Guarantees may be required.