From the driving seat the 308 has an upmarket feel, with soft-touch materials on the dashboard and expensive looking plastics. Both the look and feel have been vastly improved with stylish white-lit dials and neat ventilation controls. It’s disappointing to see the standard Peugeot stalk controls, which are beginning to look dated while the button heavy stereo is another criticism.

Visibility is also an issue – the windscreen pillars seem to lean a long way back and obscure much of the view to the side while the rear pillars are also quite broad compromising over-the-shoulder visibility.

Peugeot has made huge efforts to improve refinement in the 308. The seats are comfortable, there’s little road or engine noise on the move but the feels brittle on even roads. Thanks to the semi-tall profile the Peugeot will comfortably accommodate five adults but while rear passenger headroom is excellent thanks to the high stance, the legroom is only modest and little better than the 307.

The glass roof (fitted to some models) is a neat touch and makes the cabin even lighter while air conditioning is standard on all models except the entry-level Urban specification.