What is it?

It is one of the best-selling cars on the road – and actually Europe’s best-selling SUV. This is the second time this A mid-year that we’ve been behind the wheel of the Peugeot 3008, but this is a very different animal.

Back on March we looked at the 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder Plug-in-Hybrid 3008. This time round we’ve been in the sparky , 3-cyclinder 1.2 version. This 1.2-litre engine might sound small for a family SUV, yet it’s more than up to the task. Performance is respectable and it’s economical as well – we achieved an average of just over 40mpg over almost 500 miles.

The 1.2 PureTech is the entry into the range and with its high equipment levels, it’s the one to go for, particularly as a family car, however, if you are a company car driver then go for the Hybrid4 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) we tested earlier which will offer lower monthly BIK payments.

As we said before, the 3008 is one of those cars that seems bigger than it is and while Peugeot has not made any drastic changes following its recent update, experts will notice a new grille, vertical LED daytime running lights and new LED headlights. There are also new LED light clusters at the rear and this all works very well on a car that was in pretty good shape anyway.

Apart from changes to materials and trim, not a lot has changed inside either: Trim levels have been rationalised into five grades, Active Premium, Allure, Allure Premium, GT and GT Premium. Base trim include keyless start, dual-zone climate control and CarPlay and Android Auto while the Allure adds a 10-inch infotainment screen.

What’s it like to drive?

Under the bonnet, this model is powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder engine – which you may think a tad tiny for a five-seat SUV, but then it depends on your expectations. It’s 129hp output copes well with town and country driving, although fully loaded it did start to struggle on some of the steeper Dorset hills.

There’s enough torque to deal with most requirements and the car accelerates smoothly enough without having to thrash it like a recalcitrant racehorse.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard with this engine although our test model came with an 8-speed transmission which was smooth enough to allow relaxed cruising.

You can’t really fault the handling either. This is obviously not a car for throwing into bends or drifting and it soaks up the rough surfaces and feels solid enough.

And inside?

I don’t know if is it’s just me, but I did find the switchgear is little over complicated. There is a bank of push down buttons below the centre screen which bring up the menus, but they are not easy to see, particularly for those who eyesight is not what it once was. Once you are into the touch screen, things do become a bit easier to work with.

What takes a little getting used to is the small and slightly quartic steering wheel – almost rectangular with rounded sides – which Peugeot prefers on most of its vehicles. While the feel might be a little odd, you actually have to make quite small inputs making the steering light but precise and easy to manoeuvre.

Overall, there is a lot of space inside the 3008 making it a great choice as a family car. Head, leg and elbow room back and from is generous enough and you’ll find plenty of room in the cargo area for luggage.

Available optional extras (emboldened items fitted to test car)

• • Non-standard metallic paint (£575)

• Pearlescent paint (£725)

• • Varnish paint (£725)

• Black diamond roof – includes Nera Black door mirror shells (£300)

• • Drive Assist Plus Pack with ACC Stop & Go (Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop function), Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS3 with video camera and radar), Front Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Positioning Assist (LPA) (£600)

• Hands free electric tailgate (£400)

• • Visio Park 2 – 360-degree colour camera system and automated parking assistance (£450)
  • Nappa Mistral leather trim with Tramontane stitching. Includes heated front seats (WABA), floor mats, ‘Brumeo’ fabric trim on dashboard and door panels with chrome trim on front door panels, blue ambient lighting on front door panels and cupholders, and front footwell lighting (£1,300)

• Smartphone charging plate (£120)

• Tow bar, detachable without tools, includes ESP with TSM (Trailer Sway Mitigation system) and 13 pin plug (£550)