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Review: Peugeot 508 RXH

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Author: | Updated: 07 Aug 2014 16:14

Theoretically speaking, the electric motor is the ideal power unit for a four-wheel drive car. Of course, electric cars are only just becoming practical, but in the meantime surely hybrid power is the way forward?

That’s the rather sensible conclusion Peugeot came to when it came up with the 508 RXH. The idea is simple. Like the Audi Allroad or the Volvo XC70 it’s a beefed-up, jacked-up and specced-up version of a normal estate, but instead of a conventional, heavy, economy-killing four-wheel drive system, the RXH comes with Peugeot’s Hybrid4 technology.

Essentially, it uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels while a diesel engine turns the fronts, giving it part-time four-wheel drive.

Peugeot 508 RXH Front

No ordinary 508

From the outside, it’s immediately clear that the RXH is no ordinary 508. It may be based on the 508 SW estate, but the suspension has been stretched for added ground clearance and the chunky, black body mouldings around the wheel arches and door sills gives the normally sleek Peugeot a broad, rugged look.

The RXH doesn’t just look bigger – it is bigger. Compared to the equivalent 508 SW, it’s almost 15cm wider and about 5cm taller, while kerb weight has increased by 130kg. Fill the tanks and add a driver and you’re looking at a car weighing over two tonnes.

Sadly, the extended dimensions don’t make themselves felt inside. Because the boot floor has had to be raised to accommodate batteries and the electric motor, the boot space has fallen to just 423 litres up to the parcel shelf – down from 512 litres in the standard 508 SW.

IMG_7954i

To add insult to injury, whereas some boots have a lip to make it difficult getting heavy and bulky objects in, the RXH actually has a step up, causing exactly the same problem, although it is preferable to a high lip if only because it works in your favour while removing things from the luggage bay.

It’s not all bad though. As you would expect considering the steep £34,145 asking price, the cabin is well equipped. Half leather and electrically adjustable front seats are standard, as is a reversing camera, satellite navigation, heads-up display and the panoramic roof.

Economical

On the road, the RXH starts to come unstuck. Hybrid power may be a sound idea in principle, and cars like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV have shown us that it can work brilliantly. Unlike the PHEV, though, the RXH is no plug-in, and running time on pure electric power is strictly limited.

The RXH is also a diesel, so when the internal combustion engine does jump into life, it does so with a loud grumble.

At least it’s economical. At an official 70.6mpg, it improves on the standard 163hp 508 SW automatic’s consumption by 21mpg, while 104g/km is a laudable CO2 emission figure for any big estate.

Though the electric power does increase the total output to 200hp, performance is blunted by the added weight, so the RXH accelerates to 62mph in 9.5 seconds – exactly the same as the 163hp estate – and top speed is 6mph lower at 132mph.

IMG_7923i

Worse than the engine, however, is the gearbox. It’s a six speed automatic, and for whatever reason it really struggles to deal with the hybrid power. It holds the gear far too long in first and second while the less-than-tuneful engine screams away, and even when it does change up, the shifts are jerky.

Sport mode makes it even harsher, so it’s best to move the stubby gear lever into the ‘M’ position and control the ‘box through the paddles. They take a little getting used to, but eventually you’ll learn it and be shifting far more smoothly than the on-board computer.

Refined and relaxed

Aside from the gearbox, the RXH actually drives very well. It’s a refined and relaxed motorway cruiser and though the suspension is a little firm to deal with the 555kg payload, the big car rides fairly well.

Surprisingly, it really comes alive on a twisty B-road, where the stiff suspension comes into its own.

Turning an estate into a 4x4 should ruin the car’s road manners, but by keeping body roll to a minimum and providing a quick rebound over the bumps, the RXH’s underpinnings make it stable and planted but still responsive and quick to change direction. It’s by no means the most exciting car on the road, but it really isn’t bad for a big, practical, high-riding estate.

It’s not bad around town either, with plenty of visibility, big mirrors and parking aids making it a doddle to manoeuvre.

IMG_7932i

The verdict

The RXH is very close to being a fantastic rival to the Audi Allroad and Volvo XC70 – it handles very well, it’s well equipped, it’s economical and, for the most part, it’s well built – but it’s hampered by a ropey gearbox and a hybrid system that now looks dated and low-tech compared to modern plug-ins like the Outlander PHEV.

Peugeot 508 RXH at a glance

For:

+ Handling is fantastic for a big car
+ Official economy figures are impressive
+ Generous standard equipment list

Against:

- Clumsy gearbox
- High price tag
- Hybrid experience ruined by short zero-emissions range and grumbly diesel

Vital stats

Length: 4828mm
Width: 11864mm (2068mm incl. mirrors)
Height: 1525mm
Wheelbase: 2815mm
Ground clearance: 184mm
Boot space: 423 litres
Powertrain: 2.0 163hp diesel plus 37hp electric motor (6-spd auto)
0-62mph: 9.5 seconds
Combined fuel economy: 70.6 mpg
CO2:
104g/km
Top speed: 132mph

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