It’s hardly breaking news to hear that SUVs are all the rage these days so it’s no surprise when a manufacturer rolls another competitor off the production live. They all want a slice of what is currently a big pie.

Peugeot’s 5008 is the French firm’s attempt to grab a bigger piece of that pastry-encased dish for themselves but competition is fierce so it’s got to hit the ground rolling.

This is a very different car from the first generation. MPVs are a dying breed so when the time came to think about replacing the mkI 5008 the odds of Peugeot sticking with the people-carrier format were slim to non-existent.

What we have, then, is a car that shares the looks of its little brother, the 3008, but with the addition of a third row of seats. It shares most of its running gear with the smaller car too, but with wheelbase that’s been extended by 52mm and a body that’s 190mm longer overall.

It looks determinedly rugged, with lots of broad, flat surfaces, hard edges and strong lines that are softened by delicate details highlighted in chrome-effect trim or gloss black plastic. It has a long, horizontal bonnet, a bluff front end and raised body line to complete the effect.

The grille, the front and rear signature ‘claw effect’ lights are pure Peugeot but the wide grille with chrome fins is a 5008 exclusive.

It is a handsome car that manages to look both familiar and fresh with a dynamic profile that gives it a decent dollop of kerbside appeal, something that the first generation model could never claim to have.

Peugeot’s designers have come up trumps again on the inside, creating a cabin space that ranks as one of the finest in its class. The cockpit puts the driver right at the heart of the car, wrapping around gracefully, putting all the controls within easy reach. Material quality is generally good, too, with some nice tactile fabrics inlaid in the doors and fascia but poke around and you will, eventually, encounter some slightly cheaper feeling plastics lower down in the cabin.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, and there’s plenty of flexibility in both the seats and the steering wheel. The driving position is good but, while visibility out the front is excellent, it is limited out the back. I’m also at a loss to understand why Peugeot have insisted on fitting such a small steering wheel. I’ve had issues with not being able to see the bottom of the instrument binnacle in other models and the 5008 is no different.

Admittedly, it’s not crucial information that’s hidden from view but, nonetheless, in a cabin where there has been so obviously a great deal of attention to detail, it does disappoint. It also makes it far too easy to apply too much lock when you’re negotiating a bend, though I suspect that would become less of an issue over time.

All 5008s are fitted with the firm’s latest i-Cockpit 12.3in digital display which, similar to Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, allows you to decide what information is front and centre, including the sat nav instructions. In GT Line spec and above, you get the Amplify version of the system which allows you to choose between two configurable ambiences.

What this means in practice is that choosing between Boost or Relax – one dynamic, the other serene – experiences changes the dynamics, interior lighting and fragrance (yes, you read that correctly).

You also get an eight-inch touchscreen mounted on top of the centre of the dashboard. I’m not a fan of this particular aesthetic but in the 5008’s cabin it does look like less of an afterthought than I’ve seen elsewhere. The display is crisp, clear and responsive. As with all new Peugeots, there are very few concessions to analogue inputs on the dash, just a few attractively-styled shortcut keys below the central air vents which means that, on the whole, you’re left prodding hopefully at the touchscreen to adjust the air con, or change multimedia functions.

The list of standard equipment on the GT Line includes full LED headlamps, foglamps and sequential scrolling front indicators, 19in diamond-cut alloy wheels, Tom Tom navigation, all-round parking sensors and dual zone climate control.

On the phone connectivity front MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is included as standard right across the range.

Unlike some of its rivals, the 5008 is equipped with seven seats as standard. Like all seven-seaters, that third row has limited use and climbing in and out demands a suppleness that you’ll usually only find in the young despite the middle row sliding forward a fair bit. If you’re not using them they can be folded away to create a nice flat load area.

As well as sliding fore and aft the middle row’s three individual seats also recline. The seat bases are firm but there is no shortage of legroom. In my GT Line Premium spec test car the standard panoramic roof did impact on headroom for both front and middle-row passengers.

Using the rear seats eats into luggage space, leaving just 167 litres, so you’d have to pack light for a family holiday or invest in a roof box. However, with the rear seats stowed capacity rises to an impressive 952 litres. Remove those rear seats completely – a fairly straightforward task – and you’ll free up 1,060 litres.

The excitement doesn’t end there either, because if you fold the middle row flat and you’ll max out a gargantuan 2,150 litres of luggage space.

Under the bonnet of my test car was the same three-cylinder 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine the powered the C4 SpaceTourer that I reviewed recently. And, just as in the C4, it proved more than a match for the metal it was tasked with hauling around.

It’s aided by the fact that the 5008 is relatively light for its size, and by the 230Nm of torque served up from just 1,750rpm, but don’t expect to be thrilled by its performance with 60mph arriving in a pedestrian 10.9 seconds. The six-speed manual gearbox can feel a little vague too, so flicking through the gears with fearsome speed and precision is off the agenda.

Still, the 5008 was never intended to be a sports car so there’s nothing here that should come as a surprise and, in fact, driven with expectations aligned correctly it is refined and relaxed family transport, with nothing but the occasional three-cylinder thrum permeating what is a very well insulated cabin.

That relaxed attitude is carried across to the ride and handling, where the emphasis has been clearly placed on comfort. Its soft suspension and long wheelbase ensures that its untroubled by broken surfaces but it remains composed with excellent body control and subtle damping. The only downside is that there’s a degree of roll in corners that encourages a rather more sedate approach to more convoluted routes.

The 5008 is precisely the car Peugeot needed it to be. It’s good looking, inside and out, versatile, practical and hugely desirable. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is a good fit too, though I suspect its appeal would be even greater fitted with one of the firm’s excellent diesels.

I’m not a fan of the small diameter steering wheel. Practicalities aside it just feels at odds with size of the vehicle it calls home. The reliance on a touchscreen to control so many of the functions feels a step too far and visibility out the back could be much, much better. Most surprising, perhaps, is that there’s no four-wheel-drive option.

If you’re on the hunt for a large, seven-seat SUV and the 5008 isn’t already on your list of possibilities, then there are very few reasons why you shouldn’t include, and quite a few why you should include somewhere close to the top.

Peugeot 5008 GT Line PureTech 130

Price: £29,330

As tested: £33,755

Engine: 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Max power: 131bhp @ 5,500rpm

Max torque: 230Nm @ 1,750rpm

Max speed: 117mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 10.9 sec

Urban: 47.1mpg

Extra urban: 62.8mpg

Combined: 55.4mpg

Emissions (CO2): 117g/km

For more information visit www.peugeot .co.uk