All 508s feature ESP (Electrical Stability Programme) including ASR (Anti Skid Regulation) EBA (Emergency Brake Assist) and EBFD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) and CBC (Cornering Brake Control). The ESP also includes Hill Assist with intelligent traction control, which improves the vehicle’s ability to accelerate and be driven on slippery road surfaces.

Standard safety kit also includes two front airbags, two side front airbags, two curtain front airbags and two isofix fixtures with three-point attachments at the rear. The front seats have new ‘curved’ head restraints designed to protect you against whiplash. There is no EuroNCAP rating as of yet but we expect the Peugeot 508 SW to perform well because the 407 SW received full marks when it was tested.

When choosing a Sports Wagon or what we used to call an estate car (before the car industry got trendy and tried to come up with new, sexier words for estate cars), the necessity for flexibility and practicality was paramount for choosing a car like the 508 SW. Nowadays this is not so clear: some buyers tend to pick the SW over the saloon because they think that the new ‘estate cars’ of the 21st Century are better looking than their saloon counterparts.

So what has the 508 SW got in its locker? Load space with the seats in place is 660 litres and when folded this increases to 1,865 litres. Take a glance at some of its rivals’ stats and you’ll notice that the 508 SW is a very competitive proposition in this sector. The Mondeo estate has 542/1,733, the Accord Tourer has 406/1,183 litres of loadroom, the Mazda6 has 519/1,751 litres and the Citroen C5 has a load space of 505/1,462.

The glove box and the door pockets are of a good size and the drinks holders are well hidden within the dash. Press the dash where they are stored and they will slide out for use. However, the lack of cubbies on the central console means loose change or your phone will have to be placed somewhere else – possibly in the door pocket.