The Renault Arkana became possibly the first coupe-SUV model on the market released by a mainstream automaker. The "poor man's" BMW X4 will soon face new competition from Peugeot in the form of the all-new 4008. It is currently under development and we have new spy photos showing some progress has been made in the last few weeks.

The 4008 (name not confirmed) will be heavily mechanically related to the 308 hatchback and will be sold as a more stylish and more expensive alternative to the 2008 and 3008. With its sloped roofline, it will have a liftback-like overall shape but combined with higher ground clearance and more SUV-inspired design details. 

Gallery: 2023 Peugeot 4008 spy photos

These new spy photos show a plug-in hybrid prototype testing with a production body and camouflage foil covering the entire vehicle. The design of the wheels is somewhat weird but seems to match the overall styling quite nicely. There’s an interesting light attached to the roof of the trial car and it’s likely connected to some sort of measuring equipment. 

As far as the crossover’s name is concerned, it was believed it will be called 4008 but our spy photographers report this name could be switched to 408 Cross. Peugeot used 4008 for a small crossover about a decade ago but it never achieved market success and was discontinued quickly. The 408 Cross name, in turn, would put the model closer to the brand’s car lineup rather than its SUV range.

Regardless of the name, this new model will reportedly be offered only with electrified powertrains. Sharing its platform with the Peugeot 308, also used by the new Opel Astra and DS4, will allow the coupe-SUV to use the French firm’s latest developments in the EV sector. This likely means it will be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain with front-wheel drive and up to 225 bhp. A WLTP-certified electric range of around 37 miles (60 kilometres) per charge could be expected. 

It took this new model several months to move from testing as a mule to using its production body for the pre-production evaluations. We expect the development to be completed towards the end of this year.