This rather striking fastback is the Peugeot 408. It’s the French firm’s answer to the best family car question, and it belongs to the same niche as the supremely comfortable Citroen C5 X. Its goal was to make a large car that’s equal parts SUV, saloon and hatchback. Expect more of the same from rival manufacturers in the coming years.

It slots into Peugeot’s range between the 308 hatchback and the 508 fastback, though with its slightly elevated driving position and raised ride height, it could also appeal to those looking at the 3008 SUV. With a marketing campaign built around ‘the power of allure’ and that standout styling, Peugeot’s clearly hoping that the 408 will appeal to people’s hearts as well as their heads.

Power comes from a choice of two plug-in hybrids or a three-cylinder petrol, while a fully electric Peugeot e-408 is on its way. Rivals include the aforementioned Citroen C5 X, but Peugeot reckons the car’s buyers will come from all corners – from popular hatchbacks and estates such as the Volkswagen Golf or Kia Ceed, upsizing from small SUVs like the Ford Puma or downsizing from larger ones such as the Hyundai Tucson.

Conceptually, its closest rivals are the burgeoning breed of coupe-SUVs – such as the Audi Q3 Sportback, Cupra Formentor, Citroen C4 and Renault Arkana – all designed for family-friendly functionality with a dose of additional style thanks to their sloping rooflines. And in our experience of driving it in the UK, it performs very favourably compared to its aforementioned rivals. You can find out exactly how we test cars in James Dennison’s long-term test, which saw us put the 408 through its paces over several months. 

Peugeot offers the 408 in three well-equipped trim levels, making the buying decision easy for UK customers. All models come with LED lights front and rear, two 10.0-inch displays for instrumentation and the infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected navigation, a reversing camera and a raft of safety equipment. Base-spec Allure cars ride on 17-inch alloy wheels.

Stepping up to Allure Premium brings even more safety equipment, including adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, laminated front windows and 19-inch alloy wheels. The top-spec GT cars get cabin air quality monitoring, a heated steering wheel, more luxurious interior upholstery, matrix LED headlights, and a smart body-coloured grille.

Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the Peugeot 408, including its practicality, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive and live with – and whether we recommend buying one. Or, if you’d rather watch our opinions than read them, scroll down for our video review of the car.

Watch our Peugeot 408 video review