Peugeot 508 SW review

The ‘i-Cockpit’ remains the main talking point from the driver’s point of view, though anyone else in the car is less likely to care very much. They’ll be more taken by the 3D instrument panel behind the steering wheel if you’ve got that fitted.

The cabin's design and materials seemed edgy when the 508 launched five years ago. Since then BMW has started doing something not entirely unlike it. Imitation, flattery, et cetera.

Is the cabin comfortable?

The 508 is a reasonably sized car, but the rising centre console does make it feel slightly more claustrophobic than it otherwise would. Still, it’s all very neatly designed and you get a nice armrest for your troubles, plus a handy storage tray beneath the gear selector.

The seats are big and plush with plenty of room up front. In the rear, that coupe-style roof limits headroom for anyone above average height. Despite the long wheelbase legroom back there is also limited because the seat cushion is close to the floor. Ask the people in front to raise their seats so you can tuck your feet underneath.

It’s an estate, give me the boot news.

It’s 530 litres seats up, 1,780 seats down. And it's vast in area and has a low, flat floor, even if the space to the roof isn't as tall as crossovers' tend to be.

The roller blind cover works well enough, and the GT versions get useful securing rails in the floor with movable lashing eyes. Useful levers let you drop the seat backs while standing by the rear bumper, rather than having to reach all the way in.

What’s the infotainment like?

The central screen is a 10-incher. All have connected TomTom-based navigation, which works quickly and has accurate traffic info. Well-integrated phone mirroring for Apple and Android is also standard. TG top tip: on any modern Peugeot or Citroen, if you tap on the screen with three fingers, you're always taken back to the highest-level menu.

Besides that, a row of seven piano-style shortcut keys below the screen help the ergonomics and the style, and their cold-touch aluminium surfaces and clicky action give a strong impression of quality. Which is mostly reinforced by the rest of the cabin furniture and materials.