To say that the latest generation 308 is an improvement on the last is like saying that Barcelona are an improvement over Brighton (sorry Seagulls) and to keep the family hatch competitive Peugeot have introduced a few updates including mild styling revisions, extra safety tech as well as a new diesel engine and automatic gearbox.

The 308 was already a handsome car imbued with upmarket looks so exterior changes that bring the styling more in line with the brand’s SUV range have been subtle, with a more prominent grille, reprofiled headlights and a mildly redesigned bumper.

There are four trim levels – Active, Allure, GT Line and GT – and even the entry level model is equipped with climate control, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and wipers and 16in alloy wheels. My test car arrived in Allure trim which adds full LED headlights, front parking sensors, power-fold door mirrors, electric parking brake and an extra inch on the diameter of the alloys.

The GT Line gets bigger, 18-inch, alloys, tinted windows, twin exhausts and aluminium trim inside. GT models have lowered suspension and the front fog lights have been replaced with air intakes.

The 308 offers excellent fuel economy right across its range of petrol and diesel models with the Blue HDi promising as much as 91.1mpg while the PureTech 130 petrol engine fitted to my test car claims 62.8mpg.

The sprint to 62mph takes a respectable 9.6 seconds and top speed is 129mph. Refinement is excellent you can cruise at speed in near silence and, thanks to the impressive 230Nm of torque and the sporty engine note driving is a pleasantly relaxed experience.

You can choose between either a six-speed manual or the EAT6 (Efficient Automatic Transmission) auto. It’s smooth, slick and intelligent when left to its own devices but, if you want to take charge, there are steering wheel mounted paddles to accommodate you.

Handling is agile and confident.

The steering is quick and the small wheel means you’re not overworked if you want to exploit the sharp turn-in and strong grip. The steering is a little over-assisted, which does conceal the 308’s inherent agility a little but it’s still a fun, confident drive.

Body control is good and the suspension does a commendable job of putting some distance between broken surfaces and passengers. Overall the 308 strikes a decent balance between ride and handling. It’s a very capable and comfortable long distance cruiser with a well-insulated passenger space and a supple, unflustered ride.

Climb into the driver’s seat and there’s a familiar problem finding the ideal driving position. The steering wheel’s dimensions mean that you look over it at the instruments, rather than through it, and that results in a compromise between comfort and convenience.

The dashboard is almost entirely devoid of buttons. It’s dominated by a 9.7in multi-function colour touchscreen that gives you power over just about everything. Everything in the car, anyway.

From the screen you can control the air con, the sat nav, audio playback, handsfree calling via Bluetooth, trip information and car settings and, despite the number of options available, Peugeot have done a pretty good job of keeping things simple.

The trouble with relying on touch to manage features in a moving vehicle is that you’re often forced to take your eyes off the road to check that you are, in fact, doing what you set out to do

There is a second issue, and it's the fact that you can only access one function at a time via the touchscreen. It's true, there are capacitive buttons around the screen for quick access, but if you're using the sat nav, for example, and want to adjust the cabin temperature, you have to switch to the air con interface and then back to the sat nav.

However, despite my reservations about replacing so many of the controls with a touchscreen interface the overall implementation and integration was pretty good, and the touchscreen was sensitive enough that I didn't have to repeatedly prod it in order to induce a response.

As for the rest of the controls, steering wheel buttons and stalks, and the few buttons on the centre console, they felt robust and high-grade. Likewise the materials around the cabin - the leather steering wheel, half-Alcantara heated seats, which also come with lumbar adjustment and massage function, and the soft touch plastics – all combine to provide the passenger space with a premium feel.

Equipment levels are reasonably good in Allure trim but the touchscreen is a little fiddly and finding the ideal driving position can be frustrating. It’s also a little tight in the rear but the 308 offers a comfortable ride, decent handling and a classy, well thought out interior.

Peugeot 308 Allure 1.2-litre PureTech 130 EAT6 S&S

Price from: £21,640

Engine: 1.2-litre 4-cylinder PureTech

Transmission: 6-speed EAT6 automatic transmission

Max power: 131hp @5500rpm

Max torque: 170lbft @ 1,750rpm

Max speed: 128mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 9.1sec

Urban: 50.4mpg

Extra urban: 70.6mpg

Combined: 62.8mpg

Emissions (CO2): 106g/km

For more information visit www.peugeot.co.uk