The French have a thing about versatility. Their cuisine might be pretentious but when it comes to cars they're practical and very down-to-earth.
I enter as "Exhibit A" the Peugeot 308 SW, long-bummed family version of the 308 hatch - an all-purpose hauler of people and luggage that has more seating variations than Jacob Zuma has wives.
The SW's interior is designed for maximum flexibility with three middle-row seats that can tilt forward, fold flat or be removed altogether. They can also slide 90mm fore and aft, allowing legroom to be tailored to specific requirements.
The front passenger seat can also fold forward, enabling the SW to swallow lengthy objects such as ladders and surfboards. And there's an optional third row of seats which can cater for adults up to 1.7m tall.
Impressive modularity indeed but in the car we tested those middle seats rattled annoyingly when nobody was sitting on them.
The SW has a huge cargo bay which we filled to the max for a recent weekend family getaway. My three ladies (relax, one wife and two daughters) don't hold back when it comes to packing but the SW took everything they stuffed into it - and it all still fitted under the retractable cargo cover so stayed hidden from ill-intentioned eyes.
The cargo area has luggage tie-downs, a rechargeable torch, a 12V outlet, retaining nets and an elastic strap for holding bottles upright.
People aren't neglected either; reshaped door panels make the SW 42mm wider inside than the 308 hatch.
Yet all this practicality doesn't come in a body that looks like it should be operating from a taxi rank. Anybody who thinks all station wagons are dull and dumpy should check out this sleek piece of French hardware with its swept-back aerodynamics and long feline headlamps.
Not to mention the supersized glass roof, 27 percent larger than the one in the 307 SW. It's made of 5mm thick dark-tinted glass and has an electric sunblind.
Other fancy glassware includes a rear windscreen with a pronounced curve that wraps around the rear three-quarters and can be opened independently of the tail door at the press of a button on the remote control - handy in cramped parking.
The Peugeot 308 SW is available in South Africa only with a 1.6-litre, 88kW/160Nm petrol engine with variable valve-timing and driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual 'box.
Peugeot says the car will clock 189km/h but it would probably take a calendar, not a stopwatch, to measure the time.
It is, however, very smooth and refined, purring along at the national speed limit more like a contented kitty than the livid lion on the badge.
CUSHY RIDE
Fuel consumption averaged 8.2 litres/100km but when we drove with more patience we averaged closer to Peugeot's claimed 7.1.
The ride quality was cushy even on the rough dirt roads that formed part of our weekend getaway route. Not all French cars live up to the plush ride-quality myth but this one does. Handling is neat and tidy too, given this is a family car and not a pocket rocket.
Many cars pamper their front passengers but neglect rear-seaters. This one, however, takes very good care of them with rear air vents and aircraft-style tray tables and cup holders.
The R229 500 price tag includes many features you wouldn't normally see in a 1600cc car, including dual-zone automatic aircon, cruise control, trip data computer, steering-wheel fingertip controls for the tuner/CD and automatic lights and wipers.
Standard too are a refrigerated glove compartment box and drawers under the front seats.
The 308 SW has the same safety features as the hatch, including anti-lock brakes and numerous crash bags, and scored a maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash testing.
It comes with a three-year or 100 000km warranty, a five-year or 60 000km maintenance plan and has 20 000km service intervals.
VERDICT
Practical, versatile, refined and a great view through the roof if you like that sort of thing but not a great amount of power for the price. - Star Motoring