Peugeot 508 Hybrid interior, dashboard & comfort

Even a couple of years on from its launch, the 508's interior is one of the most impressive in this class. It's much the same in the Hybrid variant: a small steering wheel, high dashboard and sculpted seats all feature along with a series of styling choices that appear to put form just ahead of function.

It's a world away from the largely unimaginative efforts in its Skoda and Volkswagen rival, feeling more akin in the style stakes to those from BMW and Mercedes. Build quality is good, if not quite as impressive as in German and Japanese rivals, while the bulk of materials used are miles away from Peugeot plastics of old. The French brand has taken steps to improve its place in the market and that upward mobility is clearest on the inside of its most recent cars.

Peugeot 508 Hybrid dashboard

Sat in the driver's seat, the first thing you'll notice is the small, squared-off steering wheel and the 12.5-inch 'i-Cockpit' system it sits below, rather than in front of. It makes the low seating position feel even lower – great if you're the sort of driver who prefers such a position, but a slight issue if you need to raise the seat and wheel.

A large central touchscreen sits angled towards the driver at the top of a high centre console, measuring in at 10 inches on all hybrid models (non-hybrid Active cars get an eight-inch screen instead). On higher-spec models, there's plenty of exotic-looking wood or carbon trim, while blue ambient lighting on GT Line cars and above extends to the doors and dash for a particularly high-end look. 

Equipment, options & accessories

The 508 isn't lacking in equipment and its trim-level structure was updated in November 2021 to reflect customer preferences for higher-spec cars. The entry point to the Hybrid range is now Allure Premium, which comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, leather-effect and cloth seat trim, front and rear parking sensors, a 180-degree reversing camera, a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 10-inch colour touchscreen and adaptive cruise control.

GT increases wheel size to 18 inches, adds GT badging and a chequered radiator grille. There are also full LED 3D signature ‘Claw Effect’ lights and blue ambient lighting inside the front door panels and centre console. GT Premium builds on that with leather-effect and Alcantara seat trim, power-adjustable heated front seats, premium speakers, a 360-degree colour camera and fully automated parking assistance.

Infotainment, apps & sat nav

The focal point of the 508's high-tech aspirations is its infotainment system. Generally, it works well across its two screens, but the central 10-inch monitor isn't quite responsive enough to your inputs. Thankfully, a bank of piano-key buttons along its bottom edge makes hopping to different screens much easier. One of these buttons can be used to display the hybrid system's data, including energy usage and flow, along with driving-mode selection.

The smaller digital screen that's designed to sit above the deliberately small steering wheel is graphically interesting and generally easy to read, but if you favour a taller driving position, this can still be obscured by the top edge of the wheel. It's a small complaint, but one that may well be a deal-breaker for some.