It looks like
a Peugeot 308 SW, right? Look closer: what you're actually looking at, we have
reason to believe, is a test mule for the next-generation 508.
Though it's wearing the wagon's bodywork, it's been
modified with extended fenders and spacers behind the C-pillar – ostensibly to
make room for a larger footprint underneath. And though Peugeot offers a 408 in
the Chinese market, the next step up in its European portfolio is the 508.
The current 508 replaced both the 407 and 607 when
it launched as the Lion marque's flagship sedan in 2010. That makes it more
than six years old by now and ripe for replacement, which our sources
anticipate will arrive sometime next year.
The question is what form it will take. Some are
anticipating a more four-door coupe-like design, while others suggest a
conventional sedan will still win the day. Of course PSA could green light both
versions, in addition to a wagon version.
The decision will likely have been colored largely
by what the market demands in China, where local production in conjunction with
Dongfeng accounts for roughly half of 508s sold globally.
Whatever silhouette it adopts, the next-generation
Peugeot 508 will likely pick up a few styling cues from the slick Exalt concept
the French automaker tellingly showcased at the Beijing Motor Show back in 2014
– albeit assuredly toned down somewhat for production.
