EVERY so often a car comes along that takes everyone by surprise.

Nissan managed it with the Qashqai, as did Fiat with 500. Now Peugeot has gone and done it as well with the 2008.

The MPV/SUV/Crossover, call it what you will version of the excellent 208, is selling so well that the French company cannot keep up with demand and customers face a three-month waiting list.

What is it that makes this car so desirable? Well it offers a little of just about everything a family car buyer would want.

Chic design, excellent practicality, an almost perfect size for a small family, executive style finish, green credentials, economical engines and a reasonable price tag.

On the downside, the ride can be a bit wallowy as it sits higher off the road than the 208 and the seven-inch touch screen entertainment system takes a while to get used to, but with starting price of just under £13,000, this car offers an awful lot for the money.

Perhaps the biggest bonus is the premium feel of the car, with all the soft touch finish throughout the cabin both on doors, dash and steering wheel.

The seats and other trim also feels high quality and everything feels - and the French may not thank me for this - of German quality, with reassuring clunks and thuds when doors and boot lids are closed.

The front face has the corporate Peugeot ‘look' with floating grille feline style headlights designed to mimic cat's pupil and incorporating daytime running lamps.

The panoramic roof, where fitted, framed by standard roof rails, allows plenty of light into the cabin

The ambient lighting in the cabin adds to executive fee as does the classy and neatly laid out instrumentation and switchgear decorated by satin chrome finish

It offers a range of engines and the option of Peugeot's Grip control, which gives better traction to the front wheel drive vehicle.

At just 4.16m long and 1.74m wide, it sits higher off the road than the 2008 and offers multi-seat folding practicality.

Engines include two petrol, a 1.2 litre and 1.6 litre, and 1.4 litre and the test 1.6-litre e-HDi diesel. A turbo-charged version of the three cylinder petrol engine is also on the way.

All are economical with the 1.6 e-HDI diesel base model having best economy with a claimed 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions below the magic 100 mark at 98g/km. That figure will make attractive to private and business buyers alike with no road tax and low benefit in kind taxation.

All Peugeots are safe and the 2008, like the 208 scores the maximum NCAP five stars. Equipment includes six airbags, stability control the rear side seats are equipped with Isofix mountings with three fixing points.

Obviously these kind of cars are designed with practicality in mind and rear passengers have a generous amount of space, thanks to the thinner front seat backs while the front two passengers have plenty of leg and headroom.

The boot has  low loading sill, just 60cm high,  while rear seats fold and split at the touch of a button to allow the 360 litres of space to be increased 1194 lites.

The boot floor has five rails  and six hooks allow them to be secured safely and the boot offers two storage areas on the sides, with a retaining strap and a storage net, and an additional space of 22-litres under the boot mat.

For further practicality storage compartments are spread throughout the cabin with front door trays, glove box, tray and drinks holder near the gear lever, console closed storage compartment, pockets on the front seat backs to create a further 24 litres of space.