Louth Motors: The Peugeot 408 - Unexpected brilliance

Buying a new car is a bit of a challenge these days. From the myriad of shapes with their own unique names it's hard to compare apples with oranges.

You have an idea what you are looking for in terms of passengers and needs and then you are confronted by the various tempting shapes and offers from everyone.

When you finally zero in on the car type you want you are then faced with the way it is "fuelled".

The choices are petrol, diesel (wash your mouth out for saying it), petrol hybrid, PHEV, all-electric and Nissans new offering of an electric car that has an onboard petrol engine whose sole purpose is to run a generator that charges a battery that powers the electric motors that drive the car – the petrol engine is not directly connected to any of the wheels.

I won't even start on how to pay for the car and the options laid out in front of a buyer. So, is it any wonder I'm constantly being asked about shapes and power units by some very confused buyers?

It takes a lot of explaining I can tell you, and then usually, not always, the curious buyer heads to their nearest dealer and buys their latest offering because they are used to them. The mind boggles.

All that leads in nicely to the Peugeot 408. What is it? Well, it is a lot of things.

It's a crossover/SUV, a fastback/sportsbrake, a coupe and an estate.

Peugeot can claim it to be any or all of them if the buyer signals what they are looking for. No point in losing a prospective buyer over a name is there? They market it with the tagline "Unexpected from every angle" and I can see why.

The only other car that this car can be compared to is the Cupra Formentor and that's purely in terms of shape.

From all angles the similarity is striking and in a positive way.

The 408 fits in the Peugeot range between the 308 and 508, hence the 4. I can see a path from a 308 to a 508 and in the reverse direction but the 408 would not be the logical interim step – it's too different from the other two models.

It is clearly not part of the OO Peugeot family like the 2008, 3008 and 5008 so Peugeot have set it apart from all its siblings which as I always claim is a good thing and difference is to be celebrated.

It has a very sporty, high and modern look. You get a long bonnet and a long sloping rear but through squinted eyes you'd never separate it from the Formentor from whatever angle it is viewed.

The Formentor has a sporty driving and sports active image and I'd say that's what Peugeot are also aiming for here.

Even though they are not on the car you can imagine the roof laded with bikes, roofbox or surfboards.

That shape lends itself perfectly for carrying the accoutrements of a sporty life and the boot at 536 litres, expanding to 1611 litres when folded flat, cements this.

There are three powertrains, a 1.2l petrol version with 130hp and two Hybrid models with 180 & 225 bhp respectively.

There are three trim levels and all come with automatic gearboxes – its futile to resist.

Prices start at €39,995 and that gives it a significant price advantage of over €6k over the entry Formentor. The 408 is longer than the Formentor too so you get a lot of metal for the money and a bigger boot by 116litres.

On the inside the 408 with its i-Cockpit, that Peugeot deploy in all their new models, is very cool and modern.

There are customisable touch buttons below the 10-inch central display and if we are relentlessly being provided with everything being touch it's a great idea to let us choose what function the buttons perform.

More of this please from everyone. Nearly everything can be controlled from the steering wheel or voice control so you can choose what way to do things that suit your preference. Personally, I like buttons and knobs but I'm using voice control more and more.

I was in the GT model (€44,995) which gets extras like LED headlights, heated steering wheel and an electric tailgate which for the extra €3k over the mid-level Allure Pack seems worth it especially for those LED lights.

The interior is a real quality offering and the whole cabin is very driver centric.

On the road the Peugeot DNA shines and the car has comfort and refinement at its centre.

The shape has sporty connotations and that's also reflected in the drive if you are prepared to rev it appropriately and use the gears (I mean paddles) a lot and choose Sport mode.

Performance isn't staggering with a 0-100km/hr time of 10.4s which after driving a slew of electric cars feels lethargic- which of course it isn't and an unfair comparison.

Noise levels are low too and you won't be making any compromises for comfort if you opt for a 408. Fuel economy of 5.9 to 6.9 l/100km is claimed and I managed 6.4l/100kms.

A car that can't be pigeonholed always has appeal for me. Add to that eye-catching appeal and the pluses keep mounting.

If it performs a lot of roles without compromise, then bring it on.

If it doesn't take a lot of fuel, then what's not to like?

I'd a brilliant time with the brilliant 408. It really fitted me and I loved the way it was not a chore to use for short hops or long runs.

It's a car that will seamlessly fit into a lot of people's lives with lots of different requirements and like Peugeot says, that's unexpected.