In the same way, better fuel economy was not necessarily the right reason to buy diesel over petrol.

BY BRIAN BYRNE

In both cases, the correct decision was, and is, to choose the vehicle that suits your needs.

Many readers may recall that, in diesel’s heyday, I constantly cautioned against choosing it simply for the apparent day-to-day savings.

In fact, I pointed out that, for the typical motorist, the price difference between a petrol and diesel family hatchback equated to about 30,000 km of ‘free’ motoring if you chose petrol. Not to mention that, if most of your driving was urban or suburban, your diesel was likely to cause sometimes costly trouble because it never got hot enough to operate efficiently. That scenario is now far behind us. While diesel still matters for some — for example, drivers who regularly cover long distances around the country — the real choice today is between petrol engines and electric powertrains.

In the first quarter of this year, EVs rose to second place behind petrol hybrids, ahead of plain petrol and plug-in hybrids, with diesel trailing in last at just under 13 per cent — a recent low. The question I am constantly asked is, “Is electric the future?”

My answer, especially lately, is, “No. It’s now.” With nearly 17,000 EVs sold from January to April this year, that is close to a 50 per cent increase on the same period in 2025. And that is the buyer leading the charge, not being led, as that performance was against an almost-static status of the overall car sales market, up by a mere 2 per cent.

There’s now a choice of some 150 electric car models available in Ireland, and the top five brands account for nearly four in ten EVs sold here. While Peugeot in the general market sells respectably here, currently in 11th place overall, the brand’s electric car sales this year sit rather back in the trend, at 16 per cent of total.
Because of the dominance of SUVs, my review car this week, the e408, is actually one of its smallest sellers.

But I’ve liked the 408 since it first went on sale here in early 2023. Since that time, the sleek fastback silhouette has held its styling attraction very well. One of the most elegant front ends of anything in the medium saloon-hatchback space at the moment, and that little styling kick in the metal above the rear wheels adds a ready-to-rock sense to the whole aesthetic. Viewed from the rear three-quarter, elegance persists, while the shaping of the rear roof sets it apart from any of the competition.

The inside designs are in the current edgy look that Peugeot has adopted, though in my view, it’s better executed in this car than in its 5008 SUV sibling. Notably, the switchgear for the climate controls is on the centre stack rather than the console. Easily seen and accessed. The infotainment and driver information elements have the familiar, well-designed graphics and clear info delivery, the latter above the steering wheel eye line. There is an overall sense of quality that is the norm for Peugeot these days.

For those in the rear, the amount of legroom available is probably class-leading; certainly, it would be a space that even I could travel in comfortably. The headroom is equally impressive given the format of the car, the fastback styling happening further back, and not impinging at all on even tall people like me. The 471L capacity of the luggage space is practical for a family-sized car.

The review car in EV guise arrived in Ireland in the second half of last year, and is powered by a 210hp electric motor with a 58 kWh battery. The rated range of some 450 km would be available in mainly urban driving, but my reality check with a mix of motorway and suburban commuting figured things closer to 360 km. You can fast charge from 20-80 per cent in just over 30 minutes or do a quick charge to add 100km in 10 minutes.

The driving experience reflects the longstanding Peugeot ethos of a decent ride over long distances, even when encountering poor roads, along with handling that couldn’t be faulted in everyday driving. Being electric, everything was that bit quieter. The car is available in Allure and GT trim options.