JUST when you thought the family hatchback could not get any more sophisticated and upmarket, someone comes along to prove you wrong.

This time the company raising its game is Peugeot with the 308, which while sporting the same name as its predecessor, is a new car on a new chassis.

Slightly wider, shorter and lower, the new car has a longer wheelbase and, vitally, weighs about 140kg less than the old one.

The weight-loss programme comes courtesy of an aluminium bonnet and front wings, aluminium suspension components and a composite boot floor. The tailgate, too, is made of a plastic composite.

Peugeot Citroën’s new platform first featured in the second incarnation of the Citroën C4 Picasso, but here it is tweaked to shorten it and improve the car’s dynamic performance.

Priced from £14,495, the 308 is sleeker than its predecessor, with a sporty, shallow rear window and, on the top-of-the-range test model, a set of full LED headlights.

Inside, like the 208 and 2008, the 308 has a small, low-set steering wheel, with instruments housing classy red and chrome needles.

Most striking in the cabin is the lack of switches and buttons, all done away with courtesy of a whopping 9.7-inch touchscreen that controls most functions through no fewer than seven menu-driven pads.

All models come with an electric parking brake, which works seamlessly as it disengages without having to be touched.

The test model, in Feline trim, has superbly comfortable half Alcantara sports seats and optional electric adjustment includes a variable massage function. Other classy features range from keyless entry, panoramic glass roof and dynamic cruise control, to a reversing camera and an emergency collision warning and braking system.

There is a wide range of engines available and the test model’s turbocharged 1.6-litre engine delivers a punchy 156 horsepower, while delivering a quiet ride.

The suspension set-up soaks up uneven surfaces and contributes to the relaxed, laid-back feel that makes long-distance cruising in the car a pleasure.

Thanks to the little steering wheel, the 308 is a breeze to manoeuvre around town.

Peugeot has clearly upped its game to not only trade punches with its mainstream rivals like the Ford Focus and the ever-resilient Volkswagen Golf, but also to try to tempt buyers who might otherwise be looking at premium models like the Mercedes-Benz A-class.

That is not all, as Peugeot is about to launch an app that will allow you to check anything from mileage and economy to where the car is parked from your smartphone.

In addition, an intriguing new 1.2-litre turbocharged, three-cylinder petrol engine is on the way, that the firm claims will be capable of delivering more than 90mpg.

AUTO FACTS

  • Price: £21,435
  • Insurance group: 20 (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption (combined): 48.7mpg
  • Top speed: 132mph
  • Length: 425.3cm/167.4in
  • Width: 180.4cm/71in
  • Luggage capacity: 16.5 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 11.7 gallons/53 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 134g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles