Peugeot 508 SW estate (2011-2018) - Practicality & boot space

If the Peugeot 508 SW falls down anywhere, it’s for its boot, which is quite a shortcoming for a family estate car. The luggage area is a good deal smaller than those offered in rivals such as the Skoda Superb Estate and Volkswagen Passat Estate, while the rear seats lie at an angle when you fold them down, which limits practicality.

Peugeot 508 SW interior space & storage

The Peugeot 508 SW is much bigger than the Peugeot 407 SW it replaced and is at least as big inside as its major rivals, the Ford Mondeo Estate and Volkswagen Passat Estate. It puts this size to good use, too. Space up front is excellent and there are plenty of storage spaces for hiding away the clutter of family life. You’ll find a pair of cup-holders in the front as well.

Getting comfortable is easy, because there’s so much adjustment in the front seats and steering wheel. Rear space is good, with plenty of legroom and headroom – so much, in fact, that a six-foot-tall adult should be perfectly comfortable sitting behind a driver of the same height. The floor in the rear is virtually flat, which means three can sit comfortably and the middle passenger has somewhere to put their feet.

Boot space

There are some helpful touches, such as the one-touch buttons that drop the split-folding rear seats down and a hidden storage compartment under the boot floor. However, the Peugeot 508 SW’s biggest problem is that its boot just isn’t quite big enough. A 512-litre capacity with the rear seats raised trails its major rivals, and it’s a similar story with the rear seats folded down. Even more annoying is the fact that the rear seats sit at an angle when they’re folded, limiting space.

Towing

The 1.6-litre engine gives the 508 SW a towing limit of 1,375kg, while this figure rises to 1,775kg for the 150bhp 2.0-litre diesel and 1,875kg for the 180bhp engine.