You have to really want a car of this kind to really appreciate it but if you do, then you'll probably love this one.

By now, most of us are familiar with the concept of a ‘Crossover’, a family car providing the best elements of an SUV, an MPV and a conventional hatchback. The Peugeot’s 3008 wasn’t the first model of this kind to hit the market but it’s struck quite a chord with customers.

Once you seat yourself in the commanding raised driving position with its perfectly aligned wheel positioning thanks to a clever three-jointed steering column. As with all Crossovers, the idea here is to deliver everything people like about butch-looking SUVs in a more practical and affordable family hatch-shaped package.

As for the offroad promise of those macho looks, well, it isn’t completely without foundation. Peugeot thinks that drivers in search of the kind of soft-road ability offered by all-wheel drive SUVs don’t need the weight and complexity of 4-wheel drive.

There's nothing new in terms of the engine line-up, which is carried over from other models in the brand's range. That means the majority of drivers will continue to choose the 1. 6-litre BlueHDi engine, offered in either 100 or 120bhp guises. There's also a 2. 0-litre BlueHDi unit developing 150 or 180bhp. Avoid the entry-level diesel engine and you'll get the option of EAT6 automatic transmission.

As for safety, Peugeot is offering what it calls 'Active Safety Brake and Distance Alert' this time round, a system that combines autonomous braking with a lane departure warning system. There's also a Driver Alert Warning function which will warn you if the car notices fatigue in your driving reactions. Other systems include Automatic High Beam Assistance, to automatically switch between high beam and low beam depending on the lighting conditions and oncoming traffic, Speed Sign Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control with a Stop function, an Active Blind Spot Monitoring System, and Park Assist, which allows the vehicle to park itself with minimum input from the driver. There are also useful 'Visiopark' all-round camera view systems if you want them.

Inside, Peugeot has adopted its i-Cockpit design to suit this model, this set-up now also incorporating an 'Amplify' option that means you can quickly change things like ambient lighting and music settings - and even add in cabin fragrances and massaging seat intensity. Luggage space has also improved in this new 3008, the 520-litre luggage capacity being 90-litres greater than the previous version. Fold the second row of seats flat and this results in a total luggage capacity of 1580-litres, one of the largest and most versatile load capacities in the segment. The folding bench seat has a 2/3 - 1/3 'Magic Flat' capability to optimise loading with a flat floor. The very original adaptable moving boot floor, initiated on the original 3008, has been evolved with two positions to allow the optimisation of boot space and removable side-panels that can be affixed to the side boot trim.

So-called Crossover models like this might be the automotive equivalent of sitting on the fence but they do offer an attractive combination of many of the kind of qualities that a significant number of today's family buyers are looking for. If you're one of those people, uncertain whether to plump for the high driving position and chunky looks of an SUV 4x4 or the handling composure and fuel economy of a family hatchback, then try one of these first. Smarter, sleeker and more up-market, this second generation 3008 SUV is right back in contention with more modern rivals in this increasingly image-conscious segment.