Despite the ever increasing popularity of its SUVs, the Peugeot 508 is a low-slung four-door hatchback. This flies in the face of the slow decline in popularity of the large family hatchback and saloon cars. Yes, there’s no doubt the 508 Fastback is a pleasingly refreshing addition to showrooms.

It certainly looks the part. The doors are frameless just like a coupe, which immediately gains it some cool points, and contributes to its smart appearance. Around the back, it’s a simple design with Peugeot’s latest ‘claw-effect’ rear lights sitting in a black bar that runs the width of the car.

Traditionally a competitor to the likes of the recently departed Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia, Peugeot is chasing far loftier competition with the 508. It sees the Volkswagen Arteon, BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe and Audi A5 Sportback as key rivals. It’s ambitious, but thanks to its sleek coupe-like fastback bodystyle with a high-end interior it’s certainly very tempting.

Since the 2023 facelift, the 508 comes in two trim levels – Allure and GT. There’s also the standalone Peugeot 508 PSE plug-in hybrid we review elsewhere. Whichever version you choose, it’s an inherently safe car, scoring a full five-star rating when it was tested by Euro NCAP in 2018.

Peugeot has slimmed down the engine range over the course of the 508’s life. Where once there was a choice of punchy petrol engines and diesels of different sizes, there’s now only two options on the regular 508. There’s no diesel, with just a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine or plug-in hybrid to pick from.

Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the Peugeot 508 Fastback including its practicality, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive – and whether we recommend buying one.