Hot Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered still ‘under study’ for Australia

The plug-in hybrid Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered remains under local evaluation – but it is still no closer to reaching Australian showrooms.

Speaking with Wheels, a spokesperson for Peugeot Australia said global headquarters is keen to expand the performance-orientated 508 Sport Engineered (PSE) into new markets, but had no news to share for Australia.

“Globally, [Peugeot HQ] is keen to see the 508 PSE in a market like Australia that has a real love for performance vehicles, as are we,” they said.

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“A study regarding the potential introduction to Australia is still underway, but when we have more to share, we absolutely will.”

Under the bonnet, the 508 Sport Engineered features a 147kW 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, and two electric motors – 81kW front and 83kW rear – for a combined system output of 265kW of power and 520Nm of torque.

The addition of an electric motor mounted to the back axle brings all-wheel drive – a first for the 508 – with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.2 seconds.

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With an 11.5kWh lithium-ion battery, the 508 Sport Engineered has a 42-kilometre electric-only driving range – compared to 55km for the regular 508 GT PHEV, which arrived in Australia earlier this year.

The plug-in hybrid, front-wheel drive 508 GT is powered by the same 1.6-litre turbo-petrol, but with a less-potent single electric motor for a combined 165kW and 300Nm. It is priced from $76,990 before on-road costs.

Using overseas pricing as a guide, the Sport Engineered is likely to near the $100,000 mark in Australia, should it reach local shores.

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Kate Gillis, general manager of Peugeot Citroen Australia, has previously supported the launch of the hot 508 in Australia, stating: “I can say that study has been favourable in supporting the local introduction of the 508 Sport Engineered.”

With the demise of the 308 GTi hot hatch in 2020, Peugeot currently offers no dedicated performance cars in this market.

While high-performance internal combustion variants are officially dead due to France’s carbon dioxide emissions-based taxation rules, ex-Peugeot CEO Jean-Phillipe Imparato said in 2021 that the brand would launch additional electrified vehicles under its Sport Engineered line.

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“With each and every car, starting with 508, I’m aiming to put as an umbrella a performance/sporting version of the car," he said.

"We will launch at the beginning of 2021 with the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered to send a message to the market."

A potential Peugeot 308 Sport Engineered hatch could utilise a more-powerful version of the all-wheel-drive PHEV powertrain seen in the 3008 GT Sport, to match the power-to-weight figure of the previous-generation GTi.

Stay tuned to Wheels for the latest Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered updates.