Peugeot’s 3008 has been extensively re-styled and its ability to combine the best elements of an SUV, hatchback and MPV have made it as much of a family favourite as the radio show of old ever was.

Launched to the UK market back in 2009, the updated version now has more equipment as standard, but a lower price tag.

Its unique appeal lies in its practicality – a car that is all things to all men (and their wives and children. And very possibly their dogs).

Factor in the space of an MPV, the high seating of an SUV and the perkiness of a hatchback and you’ve got it all in one car.

It’s received a lot of praise in the past for its family friendly features and it certainly has all the room inside that a modern family should need.

It majors on features like the full length glass roof and the massive cooled storage bin between the front seats, and on the £22,445 Allure HDi 115 sampled here, you can expect to find a reversing camera linked to the big sat nav screen, a colour head-up display right in you line of sight ahead, row 2 sun visor curtains added to the lengthy list of standard equipment.

Even a previously undiscovered tribe living in mud huts in the far reaches of the Amazon basin would be able to work out that the Peugeot is a good all round family vehicle, with compact looks but which is at the same time spacious with plenty of room for a family of five.

Sampled here is the Allure HDi 115, with Peugeot’s acclaimed 1560cc FAP diesel engine doing the honours under the bonnet. It does a fair job of moving the 3008 around, and if you feel it’s not up to the task (though I can tell you it is) then there are other even more potent engines available.

But this unit, with its six speed gearbox, has an acceptable 0-60 time of 13.6 seconds and a combined fuel consumption figure of 57.6, the latter being a box ticker if you’re weighing up the running costs.

It comes with an ultra smart interior, with lots of shiny but in a way subtle chrome edging to the dials, door trims, air vents, giving it a classy look, and brightening up the big light and airy cabin.

Bluetooth connectivity is included on all 3008s, and electric folding door mirrors appear on Active models and above – a necessity in a busy car park.

The seats when folded do give you a goodly amount of lugging capacity should it be needed, and when you park bottoms on them then everyone travels in comfort.

The rear seats fold flat at the pull of a lever in the boot, and the false cargo bay floor means you can get a long or a tall load in. Its split tailgate gives you a flat boot floor that’s easy to load, and the cabin itself has plenty of cubby holes for the assorted needs of the travelling family.
It offers comfort for all, decent pricing and is affordable to run.

Set alongside the 308 hatchback and the 308SW, the 3008 sits fair and square in the middle of the medium car sector of the market, giving Peugeot a significant spread of cars to meet all needs.

FASTFACTS: Peugeot 3008 Allure HDi 115; £22,445; 1560cc 4 cylinder diesel FAP, 115bhp, 270Nm; six speed manual gearbox; 112mph, 0-62mph 13.6secs; urban 48.7, extra urban 64.2, combined 57.6; CO2 127g/km; will it fit the garage? 4365/1837/1639 (l/w/h).

© Wheelwrite 2014