More spacious, more powerful, more attractive - today's estate car has nothing to hide. It also retains what has always characterized the segment: a long silhouette and, above all, a large load volume.
Beginning with the 203
Peugeot's first estate dates back to 1949, when the Peugeot 203 estate was introduced. At that time, the segment was still in its infancy and nobody knew whether there would really be a customer base for this type of car.
Automobil Revue wrote in the fall of 1949:
"New body shapes extend the range of use of the lively and safe Peugeot 203 middle-class car, according to the simply executed "berline d'affaires" Without sunroof and chrome trim, then a practical convertible saloon, an all-steel station wagon with two wide rows of seats and a spacious luggage compartment behind them and a total load capacity of 600 kg. The body of this "Commerciale" or "Familiale" appears robust and should be resistant to external influences."
But the lion brand was sure it was on the right track, so it offered two versions of its Peugeot 203 estate: a family estate and a simpler version for professionals.
The positive response to these models encouraged Peugeot to further expand the range.
Continuation with the 403
As early as 1956, the manufacturer from Sochaux launched the Peugeot 403 estate car on the market and offered it as a family estate car and a version for business people.
It was replaced by the Peugeot 404 estate in 1962, while the Peugeot 203 estate waited for a successor until 1965 and the appearance of the Peugeot 204.
Estate car boom in the eighties and nineties
The story continues and over time many more five-door models with the spacious rear were created: the Peugeot 304 and Peugeot 504 estate models in the 1970s, the Peugeot 305, the Peugeot 505 and the Peugeot 405 estate in the 1980s and the Peugeot 306 and Peugeot 406 SW models in the 1990s.
At the beginning of the 2000s, Peugeot added two special models to this range: the Peugeot 206 SW, which is relatively small for an estate car, and the Peugeot 307 SW, which takes up elements from the minivans.
The list continues with the SW versions of the first Peugeot 308 and the Peugeot 407 as well as the first and second generation Peugeot 508.
The next chapter
Now the next chapter begins, as a new Peugeot estate has been on the market since July 2021: the new Peugeot 308 SW. Like the saloon on which it is based, this model is likely to stand out from its segment because it has a silhouette all of its own. It displays its own expressive style, a distinguished profile and a refined rear end. An efficient and modern vehicle with all the advantages expected by customers in the compact estate segment.
