Peugeot 3008 1.2 Puretech 130 Allure Premium EAT8

Family SUVS are hot to be seen in right now, so we're running this one to see if it's cut from the right cloth

- Mark Pearson

FASHION, ACCORDING TO Coco Chanel, is whatever goes out of fashion, but the fashion for family SUVs seems to have no end date. It's hardly surprising; here is a class of car that offers practicality, comfort and sensible running costs, often combined with decent driving manners and rugged off-roader looks.

I get to drive many of them, but it was a recent test of a Peugeot 3008 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) that ignited the thought that this is very much the sort of car I'd like to have on my driveway. On the face of it, this 3008 was fashion piled upon fashion; not only are family SUVS on-trend, but PHEVs are too.

A facelift last year has left the 3008 looking even more attractive, with its fetching sabretoothed tiger running lights. The PHEV is also surprisingly quiet and, if regularly charged up and used predominantly for short journeys, potentially very economical. Technology costs a lot of money, though, and the plug-in hybrid capability makes for an expensive 3008.

Previous experience of the petrol-only model had taught me that this was almost as refined, decently economical, and, most important of all, more affordable. On top of that, it also rides and handles more suavely than the PHEV, due to its lower weight, and because there's no bulky battery for it to accommodate, you also get a bigger boot.