Launch editions are a great way for automakers to drum up extra excitement for their latest models while helping to streamline initial production. And that the path that Peugeot has followed with the new 508.

The French automaker revealed the stylish new sedan at the Geneva Motor Show this week, and will launch it in certain markets with a special First Edition.

The Peugeot 508 First Edition is based on the top GT trim, with black exterior trim and special 19-inch wheels. Inside it’s doe up with black leather upholstery, copper stitching, Alcantara trim, and zebra-wood accents. A 10-inch screen, LED ambient lighting, black headliner, a satin chrome-trimmed leather steering wheel, and aluminum pedals further augment the cabin, with features like an infrared night vision system and Focal hi-fi audio fitted as standard.

Peugeot will only offer the 508 First Edition in dark blue or red, with either the 225-horsepower gasoline engine or the 180-hp diesel – both mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

With or without the First Edition treatment, the 508 marks a radical styling departure for the Lion marque. Its new flagship sedan encompasses a sleek roofline and frameless doors with a high beltline to give it a very coupe-like appearance, all wrapped in a sharply creased design that’ll herald the new styling direction for the brand.

Reservations for the First Edition open online today in a dozen European countries – including France, of course, where it carries a sticker price of €48,750 (or about $60k at current exchange rates). Whether it ever proves to hold its value any better on some future collector-car market, we couldn’t say. But the bragging rights associated with being an early adopter come standard.

Live images Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien