Our lower-powered 1.5-litre diesel 508 SW kicks out 131hp and a healthy 300Nm of torque

Peugeot’s 508 SW comes with a choice of two 1.6-litre petrol engines, a 1.5-litre diesel or two 2.0-litre diesel engines. All get an eight-speed automatic transmission, though you can opt for a six-speed manual with the 1.5-litre diesel. There is also a hybrid model, mating an 11.8kWh battery with the more powerful petrol engine.

As a fleet car, we’ve gone with the lower-powered 1.5-litre oil burner, which kicks out 131hp and a healthy 300Nm of torque. If that sounds like the short straw, it’s definitely not. The compact diesel has plenty of pulling power and a relaxed cruise at motorway speeds, easily carrying four adults and luggage on a post-Christmas trip from Suffolk to the Sussex coast and back. We went with the eight-speed auto box, which is incredibly smooth. It comes with a sport setting and with paddles for manual gear changing, but neither seems to improve on the standard settings.

Our car is in sporty GT Line trim, raising the already generous standard specification higher. All 508s also get Peugeot’s ‘love-it or hate- it’ i-Cockpit, with tiny steering wheel and high-mounted dash, which thankfully works well for me in this iteration.