Verdict
Irresistible style, no doubt, has played a large part in the Peugeot 408's taking of the crown for the segment - the fastback is festooned with angles and design details everywhere you care to look.
Some commendable design touches include the vertical LED 'fangs' that sit below the car's head lights, the 20-inch wheels with their unique asymmetrical design, and of course, the gently sloping roof line at the rear.
But dig deeper and you'll find this Peugeot a lot more than just pretty sheet metal. Its 1.2-litre engine pulls it along with sufficient gusto, delivering a rorty note that we have come to love, while response from the unit is linear, making the car a predictable thing to pilot. Once you're up to speed, the Peugeot 408 will also impress with its pliant ride - the car simply floats over all sorts of unpleasant surfaces.
Step into the fastback and the car continues to deliver on style. Its dashboard design, with its varied material use and lines, looks outright futuristic. Thankfully, useability is hardly compromised by this radical design. The firm's 3D i-Cockpit now gets its fixed menu shortcuts replaced by customisable and digital ones for greater ease-of-use, and there's also plenty of customisation on offer from the car's infotainment system.
And of course, further back still, this Peugeot 408 offers a total of 536 litres of storage space within its boot - enough to fit a full-size bike, and to rival plenty of SUVs.
For offering a refreshing and distinctive style without compromising on useability, this Peugeot 408 deserves the top spot in the compact sedan category.