THE corks have been popping in the Peugeot halls of power after the company's 3008 SUV won the European Car of the Year award at the Geneva Motor Show.

And it was no walk over because it snatched the honours in front of the noses of cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Toyota C-HR and Volvo's V90 and S90 models - all cars which are formidable opposition to say the least.

The 3008 SUV is a child of the race to produce vehicles of its genre with a marked premium feel for a price which is not sky high.

Much of its fame is based on the Peugeot i-cockpit which centres on a driving environment which puts the driver in complete control allowing full attention to be focused on what is happening on the road and not fumbling round looking for afterthought buttons and switches.

With the i-cockpit, the digital age steps into everyday motoring with a configurable head-up instrument panel that can be customized to suit a driver's needs.

As the panel is positioned higher it is closer to the road and more within the driver's field of vision.

This can increase safety when compared to a conventional set up in which the dials are set further down and can only be viewed through the wheel.

And the steering wheel is part of the plan with the 3008 because with its semi-flat top and bottom it aids vision to the panel. It is compact and aids heightened responses and agility and is, of course, multi-functional.

Decades ago Austin invented the quartic wheel - a much criticized semi-square affair- for the Allegro. Peugeot has now demonstrated how it really should be done.

And the Allure THP 165 automatic version I drove was an eye-opener. The claims over the steering wheel design are not idle boasts because it really does put the driver in closer contact with what is happening.

And this is all enhanced by a punchy 165bhp four-cylinder petrol engine which provides a maximum speed of 128mph and a 0-62mph sprint factor of 8.9 seconds.

This was via a slick automatic gearbox with Electric Impulse Automatic Gear Control. This futuristic control stick features a smooth ergonomic design and a button controlled conversion to manual shifts.

This is such a clever vehicle for its price of £26,395. Features on the Allure model include the capability to switch the instruments from digital to analogue, so that the whole system can be set up to suit the driver's personal preferences.