Peugeot 408 GT, our 7th car in Dubai: Initial ownership experience

A colleague came up to me and said that it looked like the first copy (replica) of a Lamborghini Urus.

BHPian raj_5004 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Greetings from the city of dreams – Dubai.

City of dreams, indeed it is. Because like every auto enthusiast’s dream, this place has blessed me with the opportunity to own amazing cars without worrying about high EMIs or fuel costs. Thus, this would be my 7th ownership thread in 9 years.

Typically, we have two cars in the family – one for myself and one for my wife. Our car ownership in this country is as below:

1. 2014 // Mitsubishi Lancer
2. 2016 // Ford Mustang
3. 2017 // Ford Fusion
4. 2019 // Chrysler 300S
5. 2020 // Peugeot 3008
6. 2023 // RAM 1500

This thread is about our new acquisition – a Peugeot 408.

To briefly summarize the car –

Likes:

• The way it looks, undoubtedly a head turner. Especially the GT with those 20″ gorgeous wheels
• The cabin look and feel. The materials used and the customizable instrument cluster
• Refined 1.6 Turbo motor with 215 bhp
• In Peugeot speak, the “LED Matrix” headlights do a splendid job of lighting up the roads
• Fantastic ground clearance of 188 mm
• Plethora of safety, comfort and tech features

Dislikes:

• Climate control is integrated into the screen, physical buttons would have been easier
• 8 speed gearbox is slow to shift
• Looks bigger in pictures than in real
• Peugeot’s mediocre after sales experience and high service costs
• Horn is too feeble

I will break this thread down into separate chapters for easier readability.

• Chapter 1: Pre-purchase dilemma
• Chapter 2: The selection process
• Chapter 3: Delivery Experience
• Chapter 4: Initial opinions
• Chapter 5: The details!

# Chapter 1: Pre-purchase dilemma

My wife’s 3008 was bought pre-owned in 2020, it was a 2018 model. After 5 years and 110000 kms, the car had started showing its age and we were contemplating a change. Also, the warranty had expired and keeping a French car in the Middle Eastern climate without any protection was not really a comfortable situation. But I had just purchased my truck a few months back and we did not want to put too much pressure on our finances as well. So the plan to change the car never materialized.

Meanwhile, I used to follow Peugeot’s Instagram account since we purchased the 3008 and their newer models were really sexy. But what caught my attention in particular was the 408. Since it was not yet launched in the UAE, I forgot about it and never discussed it with my wife. Also, since she was already driving a 3008, another Peugeot was never in consideration.

Somewhere in June 2023, I saw a post on Reddit about a user buying a black 408 in Dubai and that’s when I realized the car is now available with dealerships. A few days later, me and my wife were going to a friend’s place in my car and she suddenly spotted a car and asked me which one was that car – and yes, it was a 408, again in black. And no words to say – it was a beauty and looked better in real than in pictures. My wife instantly fell in love with the car. Now, she is not really an automobile enthusiast, but she likes good designs.

So, the same weekend, we decided that we would go for a new car. We did not know the price of the 408 till then. Our budget was a max 25L INR. Also, since the used car prices were crazy high, we decided that we would not buy a pre-owned car and would go for a new car this time.

# Chapter 2: The selection process

Like every car lover, I was jumping with joy at the thought of car shopping and this would be our first “new” car purchase in UAE in 9 years. We had shortlisted two cars within our budget – the Peugeot 408 (of course) and the Ford Territory.

Our first stop was in the Peugeot showroom and right at the entrance, they had a gleaming red 408 GT. Just one word – HOT!

The interiors were beautiful too and very high quality, a typical European feel. It was available in two variants:

• Allure – 26.25 Lacs INR
• GT – 31.50 Lacs INR

So, the Allure was in our budget and we checked out this variant too. Quite expected, the base variant was a huge step down from the GT, especially in the interiors and features. Wifey was not interested in the Allure variant and with a bit of disappointment (in regards to the pricing), we moved on to our second choice.

I have been a huge Ford fan, but as soon as we saw and experienced the Territory, I was left unimpressed.

Well, it was surely bigger than the 408 and more spacious too. Also, it has all the necessary features and bling, but the car looked somewhat strange, especially from the side. The tyres looked puny, like a typical Chinese car. That said, the Territory is made in China by JMC (Jiangling Motors Corporation), which I could not decide if it is a good or bad thing. But surely it made the price very attractive. The Territory was available in two variants:

• Trend – 22.26 Lacs INR
• Titanium – 26.46 Lacs INR

So the Territory was not only bigger, it was a whole 5 Lacs cheaper than the 408. So the decision was ought to be simple, but no! We did not need a big car. I had a truck at home when we needed the space. The Territory was fine as a family car, but it was selling like hotcakes due to its price. The 408 on the other hand felt “special”. Be it the styling, the “thud” of the doors, the build quality, the interior fit & finish… the 408 just felt like a better car.

So, we visited the Peugeot showroom again. We took two test drives. We were already 70% convinced on the car but the test drive sealed our decision in its favor due to its impeccable handling, NVH, performance and I will admit it… the way it turned heads on the road!

So now – we just had to decide on the variant and color.

Variant selection:

The top end GT was surely out of our budget and hence the brain rightly pointed us to go for the base variant “Allure”. But it missed out on several features like:

• The unique 20″ alloys
• LED matrix headlights
• Leather seats
• 3D instrument console
• Electric seats with memory
• Massage seats
• Sunroof
• Electric tailgate
• Virtual i-toggles
• 360 degree camera
• Lane positioning assist

Definitely the additional 5.25 Lacs INR felt justified for these features. And my wife’s previous car (3008) was the base variant, so she surely deserved the top end this time. So 408 GT it is.

Color selection:

My heart was set out on the Obsession blue. The test drive car was black and it looked awesome, but once again her older car was black and it is a pain to maintain, so she rejected that. My wife initially wanted the Titanium grey, but on seeing the color in person, it looked too pale for such a funky design. Her next choice was Elixir Red. We had the biggest confusion between red and blue. To add to the confusion, red was in stock and blue had a waiting of 2~3 months. Finally, we both agreed that red is way too common and we booked an Obsession Blue 408 GT on 17th July 2023. We did not get any cash discount, but the dealer offered free 3M tinting, free registration and as part of the launch offer, we would receive 6 years/200K kms warranty (instead of the standard 5 years/100K kms) and 3 free services.

The sales executive asked us for a second choice in the color and we informed him that it would be red. We were informed that we may get the car in September but maybe it would be in red as Obsession blue is the launch color of the car and is coming in very limited stock. If we wanted to stick with blue, we may have to wait till Oct or even Nov.

# Chapter 3: Delivery Experience

In August, when I followed up with our sales executive, he informed me that the chances of getting blue were negligible, so we had almost decided that we may have to settle for the red color instead of waiting for two more months.

On 4th September, I got a call from our sales executive that our car is arriving in 15 days. I told him that we may wait for the blue color as we are not 100% sure about the red and he pleasantly surprised me by saying a blue car has been allocated to my order!

I quickly proceeded with the loan formalities. The bank released the LPO to the dealer within a week and now the wait began for the car to reach the dealership. The dealer requested 1 day for mandatory software updates on the car, tinting and registration. 21st September was finalized as the D-day.

THE D DAY

We had planned to arrive at the dealership by 6 pm after work. But obviously, I could not remain calm the whole day and I spent my time reading and memorizing the manual of the car, which I downloaded online.

After work, we (me and my wife) rushed to the dealership with some sweets and the sales executive did not really waste any time and took us straight to the car which was hidden inside a black cover –

The unveil –

The sales executive explained to us the basic functions of the car and we set off straight to the fuel pump to fill its belly –

The functions/features were too overwhelming initially and like every French car, had its own quirks. It was late at night, so we just drove off to a Lebanese restaurant near our place, had a sumptuous dinner and called it a day.

# Chapter 4: Initial opinions

Does the Lion pack a punch?

It’s “adequate”

The 408 comes with a single engine option here in the UAE – a 1.6 litre turbo motor mated to an 8-speed transmission churning out 215 bhp & 5500 rpm and 300 Nm torque @ 2000 rpm. I would say it’s good enough if you are not looking for neck-snapping performance. The NVH of the motor though is a solid 8/10. The car is equipped with paddle shifters, though to be fair, I have not used it as of now since the engine is in its run-in period. So I shall update that in due course.

Fuel efficiency is something that is seldom checked by car owners here, but the car is currently returning 11~12 kms to the litre.

How is the styling?

If looks could kill…

To be honest, the primary reason why we got the 408 was its styling. The chiselled body line and aggressive stance stand out. The luminous effect of the Obsession blue paint is cherry on the top. The LED matrix headlights along with the traditional Peugeot “lion fang” DRLs are a treat to watch, especially at night. The 3D tail lights are a unique touch and give the car the visual appeal of a much more expensive car. The 20″ wheels named “Monolith” are so aggressively styled, that many people have asked me if the car is electric or at least hybrid. It looks futuristic.

A colleague came up to me and told me – it looked like the first copy (replica) of a Lamborghini Urus.

Clearly, Peugeot has given priority to styling rather than practicality. Even the ORVMs are shaped like a leaf when viewed upfront. It looks great, so what if it robs of critical visibility!

The only thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is its unusually large and oddly shaped rear bumper. I have no idea why it needed to protrude that much.

Does it ride and corner well?

Firm and planted

With low profile 245/45/20 shoes and a stiff suspension, the dynamics have clearly been tuned more for handling rather than ride comfort. But nowhere does the car feel uncomfortable or unpredictable. I quite like Peugeot’s suspension tuning, especially in the 408. The way it handles corners without any body roll (especially during high-speed ramps) while still managing a good ride is exceptional. The suspension does its job without any annoying sounds, knocks or creaks and thus the overall NVH is quite good.

The steering is small (in size and turning ratio), which gives the car an almost go-kart kind of feel. Zipping in and out of traffic is super easy as all it requires is a small flick on the wheel. Surely, at high speeds, the steering weighs up adequately and like every European car, the 408 exudes tremendous poise and stability on the highways.

If I have to complain, I wish the tyre noise was a bit more dampened, especially over rough road surfaces.

Does the cabin feel good?

Typically French!

The first thing that strikes you when you enter the cabin is the quality – be it the material of the dashboard or that used on the door pads or the leather quality. All the panels are well put together and nothing feels cheap or compromised.

Secondly, the design – it’s cool and funky. Peugeot is not afraid to take risks with radical designs. Their small steering wheel and high-set instrument console mean that the driver needs to adapt to viewing the instruments over the wheel rather than from in between the spokes. Hence, they have not provided a heads-up display either. Sure, this driving position takes time to get used to but since me and my wife have been driving the 3008, we did not have any issues with this setup as well.

The cabin does feel spacious and even with my driving position (I am 6.1″ tall), another person can easily sit behind me. But the car is best suited as a 4 seater as it is not wide enough to comfortably seat 3 adults in the back.

How about features?

In abundance, but misses on some key ones!

The 408 GT is genuinely loaded with all the features you can think of –

• LED matrix headlights with automatic high beam – super bright and looks the part
• Automatic headlights and wipers
• Power foldable and adjustable ORVMs
• Paddle shifters
• 3D digital instrument console – the instrument console is very customizable but the 3D effect indeed looks fancy
• Speed Limiter – my wife loves to use the speed limiter, especially during her office commutes to avoid hefty speeding fines (more convenient than using cruise control)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Driver Assist 2.0 – partial autonomous driving (acceleration, braking and steering), but the car requires the driver to rest his hands on the steering wheel even when it’s driving on its own
• Automatic dual zone AC
• Passive vehicle entry/exit – No need to fiddle with the key… unlocks automatically when you are near the car and locks automatically when you walk away
• Auto dimming internal rear view mirror (frameless)
• Electric front seats with memory
• Massage seats (front) – Can select up to 3 different intensities and 5 different massage styles
• Ambient lighting
• Electric tail gate with foot sensor
• Focal Audio system
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Wireless Charger
• Navigation system (powered by Tomtom)
• Virtual i-toggles – quick shortcut toggles to access various infotainment functions (can be customized)

Is it safe?

That’s what the safety features suggest!

Euro NCAP has given it a 4-star rating. The car surely feels very well-built and tough. The below safety features boost our confidence –

• 6 Airbags
• ABS / EBD / ESC
• TPMS
• Front & Rear parking sensors
• 360 degree camera
• Driver Attention alert
• Automatic emergency braking
• Blind Spot detection
• Lane Keep assist
• Lane positioning assist
• High beam assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Rear cross traffic alert

How does it feel to own a Peugeot 408?

Special.

Walk up to the car and you immediately notice the striking styling, very unique and attractive. As soon as you get closer to the car, the LED DRLs light up to acknowledge your presence. If it’s night, the headlights also light up your path. Move closer to the door, the car unlocks and the mirrors unfold. Another set of lights with the Peugeot logo light up the side of the car next to the front doors.

Open the door, and the driver’s seat slides backwards to let you slide in comfortably. Close the door with a reassuring thud and you immediately notice the digital cluster and its welcome animation. The blue Nappa leather seats with their green contrast stitching embrace you into a level of luxury not expected in this segment. Switch on the car, the Focal audio is the next to impress you. Look around and small touches like the touch-sensitive cabin lamps, panoramic sunroof, damped glovebox/grab handles, seatbelt reminder for all 5 seats, green stitching on the dashboard (same as the seats) leaves you nothing but impressed.

Keyword: Peugeot 408 GT, our 7th car in Dubai: Initial ownership experience