Peugeot may not be finished with estate cars just yet. Despite pulling the plug on the 508 in early 2025, the French manufacturer is openly considering a return to the segment as it reassesses what comes next beyond its increasingly SUV-heavy line-up.
The Peugeot 508 was introduced in 2010 as the brand’s mid-sized executive contender, taking on established rivals such as the Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb and Volvo S60/V60. Offered as both a four-door fastback and a more practically minded estate, it quickly became clear that the latter was the stronger seller, particularly in European markets.
Two generations later, however, the writing was on the wall. Slow demand, especially in the UK, ultimately sealed the 508’s fate. Fewer than 7,000 examples of the second-generation model were sold locally, leading Peugeot to withdraw it from sale at the end of 2024. Production officially ended in spring 2025, and with no third-generation replacement planned, it appeared to mark the end of Peugeot’s long-standing presence in the estate car market.
Yet that may not be the final chapter. Speaking about the brand’s future direction, Peugeot CEO Alain Favey suggested that the company is actively evaluating alternatives to the current dominance of SUVs and crossovers.
“Everybody, us included, is bringing into the market very nice SUVs of all shapes and forms,” Favey said. “You feel that something else has to come in the future. I think every manufacturer is thinking about it and having plans for that.”
When asked directly whether that “something else” could include a return to estates—a body style Peugeot has offered continuously since 1950—Favey was notably open-minded.
“Why not?” he replied. “We had to stop the 508 because there was not enough demand to justify it remaining in the market. Now, we are exploring what’s next after the SUVs. Maybe there will be something that will make sense, even in that part of the market, later on.”
Crucially, Favey acknowledged that any future model would need to be more than a simple 508 revival. “Will it be a station wagon, or will it be something different? I don’t know. But we’re not excluding anything. If we find the right recipe for the future—which clearly was not the 508, otherwise we would have kept it—then of course we will come back.”
The estate market today is undeniably smaller than it was when the original 508 launched, squeezed by the relentless rise of SUVs. However, recent entries such as the BYD Seal 6, Toyota bZ4X Touring and Subaru E-Outback suggest there is still life in the segment, particularly as electrification reshapes traditional body styles.
If Peugeot does return, it’s likely the formula will look very different from before—potentially electric, more lifestyle-oriented, and positioned as a credible alternative to yet another crossover. For now, nothing is confirmed, but one thing is clear: Peugeot isn’t ruling out a comeback for one of its most historically important body styles.
For estate car enthusiasts, that alone is reason to pay attention.
Source: Autocar