Trust the French to spice up a segment not known for being particularly exciting.

The Peugeot 508 Fastback is an incredible design fever dream carried boldly forward into real life. Its front fascia, with slim headlights framed by the marque's signature vertical LED strips, already helps it achieve an unmistakeable swagger, but things get even better at the rear. That stretched out horizontal black strip is retro-throwback executed deliciously, then accentuated further by the claw-like LED strips on both ends which stay lit throughout the entire day with variable intensity.

This sense of athleticism translates into other aspects of the car - from its lowered height to its dynamism. In GT-line (the variant we get in Singapore) the 508 Fastback is powered by a familiar 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with 178bhp and 250Nm of torque, good for even more enthusiastic driving. Still, because of its well-sorted suspension and clever, variable power assistance for steering, the car never feels stressful to pilot.

As a modern Peugeot car, the 508 Fastback's i-Cockpit also comes with a stunningly crisp digital driver's display and 8-inch touchscreen in the middle to offer an experience upfront that is aggressively 21st century. But practicality isn't compromised on too, with spacious backseats you can stretch out in, and a liftback tailgate with a wide aperture. There's even Nappa leather in this cub - the sort of stuff 7 Series and A8s are made of.

Moving up from the compact sedan and sedan categories, one starts to demand more from a family sedan - qualities that help the car stand out and justify the extra cash that will be spent. In this respect, the 508 Fastback brings family sedan-like comforts and un-family-sedan-like styling together like no other car does today. For that, it's the undeniable (and handsome) winner of this category.