2018 Peugeot 508 to bring major design changes

Peugeot boss Maxime Picat has confirmed that the 508 will continue beyond 2018, when the current model is due to be replaced by a new generation, according to a new report.

UK website Autocar reports that while the brand’s large car will live on, it will be restyled in an attempt to broaden the 508’s appeal beyond its core markets in France, Spain and Belgium.

Speaking to Autocar, Picat confirmed that the car would be replaced when it reaches the end of its current life cycle around 2018, insisting that “the question is not ‘will we replace it?’, because [they] know [they] should”.

Major changes from the current model are likely to focus on design and technology, with Picat suggesting that, to remain competitive in the segment, the 508 needs to be refreshed and have its capabilities changed.

“The question is whether we repeat the same 4.8-metre saloon (sedan) design or not. [The segment] the car is in is losing customers and we also see that it isn’t a segment that customers dream of moving up to, so the opportunities for sales are going to decline step by step if we stand still,” he said.

“So it might be that we look at changing some of the car’s capabilities in order to compete. We won’t take a big risk, because we don’t have a huge car park of customers we can risk losing, but we can move the lines of where the class is and we can be a little bold.”

Above: The Peugeot Exalt concept could point to a four-door coupe version of the next 508

“We have a solution which, we think, is a good surprise – but I will not tell you more,” he added.

Back in 2014, Picat hinted that the next-generation 508 range could be bolstered by a ‘four-door coupe’ body style, alongside the more conventional sedan variant, in similar vein to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and CLS-Class siblings.

Last year, a report by Automotive News quoted PSA Peugeot Citroen’s CEO, Carlos Tavares, saying that the next-generation 508 will be equipped with a larger selection of driver assistance features, including partial autonomous driving technology.

The next Peugeot 508 is expected to ride on the company’s EMP2 architecture, competing with the Ford Mondeo, Holden/Opel Insignia and the European-market Renault Talisman.