Peugeot 408

FIRST UK DRIVE Boldly styled new family car arrives in Britain

- Alex Ingram

THIS is the new Peugeot 408, a car that A even sure pigeonhole. The brand reckons it falls into several categories and has no direct rival.

The striking shape contains a mash-up of bodystyles: hatchback, fastback, and a bit of SUV. This has been made possible by a body that's 4,687mm long - 51mm longer than even the 308 SW estate. But the key figure for many will be the increase in wheelbase; at 2,787mm, the 408 stretches 107mm further than the 308. That has given Peugeot a chance to address one of the 308's biggest flaws: rear passenger space.

Indeed, Peugeot says that the 408 has the most kneeroom of any of its models. There's more space in the back than in the Honda Civic, and it runs the Skoda Octavia close.

It's pleasant up front, too. The dashboard design is shared with the 308, and the quality feels more than up to pretty much anything else for similar money. Peugeot's latest infotainment is a great improvement over past attempts, and the second touch panel below the screen can be customised to pick out a few specific shortcuts. We'd prefer physical climate controls, though.

At 536 litres, the boot capacity is 175 litres up on what you get from a 308. If you go for one of the two plug-in hybrid options, the battery in the back raises the floor slightly and cuts the size to 471 litres. That's still respectable, though, with enough space under the floor for a charge cable.