Peugeot 408: Facelift brings changed powertrains

Since 2022, Peugeot has afforded itself the luxury of a niche model. The 408 is a fastback sedan that integrates SUV elements into its design with clad wheel arches. The big breakthrough has so far failed to materialize, and the minor facelift will hardly change that. Because at least one step is missing.

Slightly more power in the plug-in hybrid

The appearance has only been slightly adjusted with a modified radiator grille, with the illuminated lettering at the front and rear being the most striking changes. In comparison, the changes to the powertrains are more far-reaching. The 1.2-liter base gasoline engine, a 48-volt mild hybrid, still produces 107 kW. Consumption in WLTP drops minimally to five liters. Peugeot has increased the plug-in hybrid: While the 1.6-liter gasoline engine with 132 kW and the electric motor with 92 kW individually do not produce more than before, the approved system output increases from 165 to 177 kW. The range also increases slightly from 77 to 85 km.

However, charging remains slow in the plug-in hybrid. A single-phase charger with 3.7 kW is still standard. For an additional charge, at least 7.4 kW are available, but the 408 PHEV only accepts this on one phase. A three-phase 11-kW wallbox, which splits its total output, therefore changes nothing. The optional charger offers an advantage at some public charging stations.

Electric car also lags internally

In the electric car e-408, the innovations are limited to preconditioning of the battery cells, which is now finally possible. It helps to achieve maximum charging power even in winter, provided the journey to the charging station is long enough. In the summer, Peugeot also wants to offer Plug & Charge and Vehicle-to-Load for the e-408. Then the traction battery can be used to power external consumers. The battery itself and charging are not improved. It remains at 58.2 kWh net, 456 km WLTP range, and 120 kW DC charging power. The e-408 charges from 20 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. This averages just under 70 kW DC net charging power. Overall, the e-408 lags far behind internally with these figures. In some models, Peugeot now offers more than 90 kWh of energy content and 160 kW DC charging.

Peugeot has not yet revealed what the revised 408 will cost. The previous price list from December 2025 listed 40,970 euros for the base model, while the entry-level versions of the plug-in hybrid and electric car were priced at 47,600 and 46,300 euros respectively. This is unlikely to change much, as the competitive landscape is expected to become more crowded, increasing competitive pressure. A Mazda 6E (Test), for example, costs about the same as the e-408 but offers higher energy content in the traction battery and, in one version, higher charging power.

(mfz)