THE Peugeot 3008 seems as popular as ever judging by the numbers on the road.

I have not yet grown to love the shape of it much, although the latest version, with its revised grille, certainly improves on the original.

Peugeot calls it a crossover although only the very top Hybrid4 model is available with four wheel drive.

But in that, it's the same as the majority of other crossovers and pseudo 4x4s on the market, since they are mostly two-wheel-drive too.

And some 2WD models are fitted with Peugeot's trick traction control system, which always sends power to the wheel with the most grip in snow or on wet fields.

There are now two petrol engines, a 1.2 turbo with 130bhp and a 1.6 turbo with 150 and diesels are the well-known 1.6 with 112 or 115bhp and a 2 litre with 150 or 163bhp.

At the top of the range is that Hybrid4 I've already mentioned, which boasts a total of 200bhp from the 163bhp diesel driving the front wheels allied to a 37bhp electric motor driving the rears.

These work in tandem to produce maximum power but in slow traffic, it uses electric power alone and it offers 4WD for short distances at low speeds.

Handling and roadholding are good with fine stability and strong grip. The suspension is set up to stop too much roll, but as with some other taller vehicles, this does make the ride a little jittery at times.

Inside the bluff outer shape it is pure mid-size people carrier, with excellent storage, a huge boot and good legroom front and rear.

The rear seats can fold easily to make a large flat floor and equipment is good, with all models having air con, electric windows and mirrors, a good stereo system with column controls, and stability control.