The Brittany Peninsula from the Peugeot 508 window

Valery Chusov, photo by the author and Peugeot

Consumers are probably familiar with the names of the French regions of Cognac and Champagne. Some, for the same reasons, know Bordeaux and Burgundy. We have heard much less about Brittany, and sometimes even confuse it with Britain. But this peninsula has something to be proud of. For example, cars that are assembled at the PSA plant in Rennes. And also original dishes invented here.

If for us the topic of globalization and integration seems to be a modernist idea and a symbol of new times, then for the French it is a normal development of a long-standing process. For example, the Brittany peninsula was once conquered by the Britons from the Franks, so the name is not at all deceiving. In French, Bretagne is spelled the same both for the name of a region and for the name of a neighboring island country. In the second case, they simply add Grande - “big”.

The Duchy of Brittany existed independently for quite a long time and united with France only five hundred years ago. And now many inscriptions on the streets and road signs here are duplicated in Breton. This is France - a country that unites individualists.

A navigation system with a seven-inch color display is included on the Allure and GT trims. High-quality finishing materials can also be found in the basic Access.

Better than the old two

French cars are also trying to become more global. You have to pay for this with the loss of national characteristics. Yellow headlights fell victim to the uniform European rules; the horn buttons on the end of the steering column lever have almost disappeared. The spare tire is now stowed in the trunk rather than hanging underneath it.

The Peugeot 508 looks more calm and “pan-European” than both of its predecessors - the 407 and 607 models. The first found both ardent fans who were ready to put up with the monthly replacement of the front bumper edging, and opponents. About the second, one English journalist wrote that “only French officials love it - because they are given this car for free.” He just didn’t see the Lancia Thesis then!

The Peugeot 508 is unlikely to give reason to find fault with too extravagant solutions. On the contrary, there are already those who want to reproach Peugeot for losing its own style. Although there are signature elements here - a protrusion on the hood, trapezoidal headlights and taillights with oblique stripes. By the way, these oblique lines of optics are reminiscent of the hits of the 70s and 80s - 504, 505 and 404. It’s nice to remember the good things...

The new Peugeot flagship is bound to become attractive in the West and East, both among avant-garde artists and among conservatives. Designers were looking for balance in appearance. As usual, the sketches looked bolder than the production model.

No mischief

Design is something we evaluate before we get behind the wheel. It’s the same with gastronomy, although today there are people who like to eat in complete darkness. Breton cuisine stands apart from the rest of French cuisine. The landscape and soils here are not very conducive to farming. But the Bretons skillfully use the main feature of their homeland, because it is a peninsula. The Atlantic Ocean provided Breton cuisine with its main specialty - fish and seafood. However, for many of us, sea creatures are still as extravagant as the design of the Peugeot 407. Therefore, the Peugeot 508 can be compared with something more familiar to us.

Here, for example, is the traditional French dish pied de cochon. Translated, it means “pork’s leg,” and that’s what it is. In Rennes there is even a special restaurant for this purpose - Leon le cochon. Not too expensive and popular with locals, which is a top recommendation in France, it surprises with its simple presentation combined with luxurious offerings such as homemade foie gras. Pied de cochon was recommended to us by the waiter. And you definitely need to take it. But only once. Because even a set of lard, skin and cartilage, sanctified by tradition and skillfully prepared, remains a set of lard, skin and cartilage.

No, it is not suitable as an analogue for the 508 pied de cochon. At Leon you can choose something more versatile and less heavy on the stomach. Let's say, blood sausage. Or salad with pigeon. And, of course, a dish that will please everyone except Hindus and vegetarians. This is beef fillet "chateaubriand". It is named after Francois-René Chateaubriand, a native of Brittany, writer and diplomat. And it was invented in 1822, when Chateaubriand served as the French ambassador to “Greater Brittany”. Also a kind of globalization on the scale of that time.

Today, not only crayfish, but also mussels, oysters and other shellfish. Some are three, some are five. It would be difficult for Zhvanetsky in Brittany...

Universal sedan

The Peugeot 508 simply must be universal and appeal to everyone, regardless of race, income or religion. After all, the model is located on the border of two market segments. A family or a single gentleman with traditionalist tastes, a taxi driver or a slightly above average manager - they all care about comfort, the classic sedan silhouette, interior space, and efficiency.

Everything worked out well with the space. The 2817 mm wheelbase is only slightly inferior to German E-class sedans, and the same can be said about the interior dimensions. The length of the body is slightly less than 4.8 m, but this did not prevent it from providing a respectable 515 liters of trunk volume. And this is even with a full-size spare wheel.

For both driver and passengers, the 508's interior gives the impression of properly cooked meat. The uncurdled blood of the designers’ imagination doesn’t shine too red, and the crust of savings on finishing doesn’t crunch on the teeth. A pleasant balance of modern and classic, quality materials and careful assembly. The number of functions has increased compared to the predecessor model, but there are fewer controls... But this is a deceptive impression. They were simply redistributed. That cross between an airplane cockpit and a calculator, which was used as a console on the Peugeot 407, has now given way to an elegant and rather simple panel, on which there are not even a dozen buttons. Some of them are placed on the steering wheel, however, this is an option - navigation and some modes are controlled using a handle near the center armrest. Several more buttons are hidden on a pull-out remote control in the instrument panel to the left of the driver. It is there, for example, that the control keys for the head-up display are located above the instrument panel.

The French are big fans of not only gourmet cuisine, but also technical innovations: it was in France that they once began to rapidly introduce central locks with remote controls and steering wheel audio controls. So the 508 is also not deprived of all sorts of delights - assistance not only with parking, but also with finding a place for it, an electric parking brake... True, most of all these “goodies” will go only to buyers of the most expensive versions, the most expensive and fastest of of which - Peugeot 508 GT. This modification is distinguished not only by the most powerful engine of 204 hp. and the maximum configuration, but also a double-wishbone front suspension, as on the 407; the remaining versions make do with MacPherson struts.

Peugeot's style today is not as bold as it seems from the sketches. However, Gilles Vidal, who has been heading the brand's designers for two years now, tries to maintain a French accent even when speaking the language of globalists.

We willingly believe

The buyer must decide the issue of efficiency independently, choosing from a wide range of engines. There are no plans to sell that same GT in Russia yet. We are offered two petrol modifications, with 1.6-liter engines with 120 and 150 hp, and two diesel 2.0 l/136 hp. and 2.2 l/150 hp. A bit modest, but economical.

The French themselves prefer a combination of diesel and manual. On the one hand, it saves money. On the other hand, it gives a feeling of control over the car. This is how they explained it to us at the Rennes plant, where they produce the 508 and its platform brother, the Citroen C5.

We willingly believe. After all, the French love and know how to combine economy and pleasure.

PEUGEOT 508 HDi ACTIVE

Engine type	R4, turbodiesel
Working volume, cubic meters cm	1997
Power, hp	136
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h, s	9.2
Maximum speed, km/h	210
Price in Russia, rub.	from 1,259,000

At the border of the thigh