Our long-term Peugeot 3008 had a lot to live up to when it joined us three months ago. Voted What Car?’s car of the year, expectations ran high.

It didn’t disappoint.

For a brand that has been bumping along for the past few years, Peugeot seems finally to be getting its act together with improved quality, better performing cars that are fit for purpose. And the 3008 is exactly that.

It’s a spacious people carrier with an airy cabin, ample storage – the cubbyhole under the centre arm rest is cavernous -, comfy seats and its piece de resistance: the split tailgate, adjustable floor boot for optimum practicality.

The adjustable floor is the best we’ve seen. It sounds simplistic – indeed it is – but having a false floor which moves up and down to increase/decrease load capacity makes loading luggage much less back breaking.

Add to that the split tailgate and most bulky of items can be easily slid into the boot.
Everyday driving returned 45-47mpg, someway off the official 55.4mpg, although with a lighter right foot 50mpg could be topped.

To drive, the 3008 is smooth and quiet while the 110bhp 1.6 HDi engine delivers plenty of usable power and a respectable 137g/km CO2.

There were niggles, however, mostly to do with the sat-nav.

First, it doesn’t allow for full postcode entry; second I couldn’t work out a way to switch off the traffic reports.

Being given an update on M25 conditions when driving on the M6 to Birmingham became an annoying yet regular occurrence.

Yes, I could’ve scoured the driver’s handbook for the answer, but these things should be obvious to work out but for the first time I was flummoxed.

The other main niggle was the lid to the central storage bin.

It’s hinged for the left-hand drive car – Peugeot clearly decided to save a few pennies by not altering it for the right-hand drive UK market.

Key competitors are the Nissan Qashqai and two-wheel drive Hyundai ix35.

The 3008 comes in a little higher on running costs at 32.8ppm against 30.5ppm (Qashqai) and 31.42 (ix35), mainly due to its higher P11D price and lower residual values – 32% against 38% and 34%.

Perhaps ‘car of the year’ is a little generous, but there’s no doubt the 3008 puts Peugeot back in the race for company car business.