Coupe d’etat: 2025 Peugeot E-408 SUV-coupe EV could be challenging the Tesla Model 3 in Australia as soon as next year

October 9, 2024October 8, 2024 John Mahoney 7603 Views E-408, model y, Peugeot, polestar 2, Tesal

Two years after it was first unwrapped Peugeot has launched its 2025 Peugeot E-408 in Europe.

An all-electric take on its four-door coupe, it has been created to tempt style-obsessives away from the Polestar 2 or default Tesla Model 3 or Model Y favoured by most Australians.

Set to join the current Peugeot 408 that’s offered with two plug-in hybrids and mild-hybrid power, the new E-408 comes with a 58.2kWh battery that provides for a range up to 453km.

Just one single e-motor is available that drives the front wheels and produces 157kW and 345Nm of torque.

Official performance figures have not been posted but expect a mundane 0-100km/h dash of less than 10 seconds.

Capable of averaging 15.2kWh/100km thanks to its slippery design and low 0.28Cd drag coefficient, Peugeot says the E-408 can be DC fast-charged at up to 120kW, with a 20-80 per cent top-up taking just over 30 minutes.

Later on and potentially more temptingly, a long-range E-408 could join the line-up – although that one has been ruled out for launch.

That would come with a larger 98kWh battery from the E-3008 or E-5008 that will see the latest E-408 cover more than 700km on a charge.

If you miss the badging the E-408 looks almost identical to the regular 408 while inside it shares the combustion version’s raised 10-inch digital instrument panel that’s combined with a 10-inch infotainment screen.

Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard, as well as the i-Toggle piano keys that make for handy shortcuts.

What’s different is as well as the Normal, Eco and Sport driving modes, the paddle shifters behind the wheel adjust the level of regenerative braking.

In other markets the E-408 is offered in two trims – the Allure and GT plus five exterior colours.

The base Allure gets 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, sat nav, six-speaker sound system, dual-zone climate control, a heated driver’s seat and a heat pump.

The range-topping GT adds matrix LED headlamps, front parking sensors, a power tailgate with gesture control, aluminium trim, eight-colour ambient lighting and an advanced adaptive cruise control.

Driver assist tech includes the French brand’s latest autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Back in Australia Peugeot says it is axing the plug-in hybrid variant of the 408 and replacing it with a new mild-hybrid 408 that will feature an electrified 100kW 1.2-litre three-cylinder that gets a 48V battery and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The new model will arrive early next year.

The fate of the Peugeot E-408 in Australia remains unknown but the French brand says the latest EV is on its radar, suggesting a green light could mean it might be here by the latter half of 2025.

Peugeot says the E-408 completes its all-electric vehicle range, with the Stellantis-owned car-maker now offering 12 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.