Peugeot 3008 Allure 1.6 HDi FAP 6-speed manual

What is it?

This is the facelifted version of the French firm’s five-year old crossover that they claim manages to combine MPV practicality with SUV desirability.

Based on the old 308, time hasn’t been too kind to its bigger brother, but a timely facelift has freshened up the exterior. Taking design cues from the new family look that can be seen on the impressive new 308, the Peugeot 3008 gets a bold front grille with LED-edged headlights that sweep along the front arches.

At the back there’s a tidier treatment to the tail lights, with new clusters, a dark red tint and some on-trend LEDs.

The net result is a car that looks decidedly modern, even when placed alongside rivals such as the sparkling new Nissan Qashqai.

Inside sees a step up in equipment levels, with the Allure spec model I was driving coming fitted with a reversing camera and parking sensors, sat nav, tyre pressure monitor, a colour heads-up display, climate control, panoramic roof and cruise control.

Even the entry-level Access model comes fitted with Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port and an automatic electronic handbrake with hill assist.

Under the bonnet of the test car is Peugeot’s well-proven 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel engine. This produces a reasonable 114bhp and 200lb-ft of torque, which translates to a 0-60mph time of 13.6 seconds.

While it sounds a rather steady pace, the six-speed manual gearbox allows you to keep the car in its wide torque band, making it feel far sprightlier than the numbers suggest.

Once you get to a corner it presents very little in the way of body roll, with good steering feel and visibility making it easy to place on the road. That surefooted ability comes at the cost of slightly stiffer suspension than you might expect but it’s never too firm, even on the potholed back roads of Bedfordshire.