Blending sedan, hatch and SUV cues, the 408 is confirmed for local availability next year.

 BUYERS are beginning to look for something new, retaining distinctive looks - and an elevated driving position - but with more focus on efficiency.

 That's the rationale for the Peugeot 408, a sedan-sports utility vehicle with a touch of hatchback revealed internationally today and confirmed for 2023 launch here, though what drivetrains and the pricing are remaining under wraps.

 So what have we got? A model (unrelated to the Chinese market 408 small sedan) set to sit between the 308 and Peugeot’s largest car, the 508 Fastback.

 It presents purely in this five-door format, elevated but with a coupe-flavoured, aerodynamic silhouette.

 Is that something new and different? The French marque says ‘oui’ to that suggestion. It claims the 408 invents a whole new niche.

 So who’s buying? Product manager Aurelie Bresson voices thought that “customers might be compact hatchback owners who want more roominess but the same driving experience … or compact SUV owners looking for a more distinctive car and a more dynamic driving experience, or larger saloon owners looking for modern lines while maintaining a longer car.

“They have in common that they’re open-minded and don’t just buy a car for functionality.”

 The ‘different to the rest’ proposal is more about the car in its entirety than the design, perhaps.

 Cues of current NZ-market Peugeots continues, primarily those fang-like LED daytime running lamps and the overall is sculpting familial, though in bigger scale.

 Overall, though, it’s more modern and adds extra boldness. The bonnet’s plunge towards the '408' script at the front; the new style of radiator grille; that feature line running from the headlights back into the wheelarches … these are details that’ll capture anyone’s attention.

 The model in promo images is the flagship GT, which gets the flat new Peugeot crest on the leading edge of the front doors. It also features an intriguing 20-inch alloy wheel design plus black plastic wheelarch surrounds for crossover appeal.

 The rear is just as interesting as the front. The sharp-edged roof spoiler is split into two parts, which Peugeot refers to as ‘cat ears’, and there’s a new take on those claw-like LED rear lights.

 The cabin features the latest iteration of Peugeot's i-Cockpit, retaining a small steering wheel with the digital instruments viewed above the wheel's rim. In the middle, below the 10-inch touchscreen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, is a set of 'i-toggle' touch-sensitive shortcuts that can be configured by the driver.

 The big hook is the interior space. The 408 sits on the same EMP2 modular platform as the 308, but at 4690mm long and 1480mm tall, it is 440mm longer and almost 40mm higher than that car. 

 Peugeot claims that the 408's rear accommodation is more spacious than any other car it makes. The seat backs split 60:40 and have a ski hatch. Tumbling them forward increases the substantial boot from 536 litres to a maximum of 1611 litres. The tailgate opens automatically and the parcel shelf integrates with it.

 The website for British magazine Autocar quotes design project manager Pierre-Paul Mattei as saying giving the car “dynamism without hiding the fact that it’s roomy” was a hurdle.

 “A classical fastback – the Peugeot 508 for example – starts to drop the car’s top line at the B-pillar, but here it’s the back of the rear door, which makes rear access and space better.”

 Powertrain options are largely the same as those for the 308. The entry powerplant is a 97kW 1.2-litre PureTech three-cylinderpetrol engine, plus there are two plug-in hybrids, one outputting 134kW and the other 168kW, all matched to an eight-speed auto.

 Full details have yet to be released, an official electric range of about 60 kilometres is expected.

 Peugeot has confirmed that an all-electric e-408 model has also been signed off, but a release timeframe has not been shared.