THIS is one very stylish SUV.

Just take the interior, with its sweeping dashboard that flows seamlessly into the doors. There is some real design here, some real thought.

It makes the Peugeot 3008 feel a bit special.

Indeed, the inside is not a place you will tire of being in – it is sharp yet warming and comfortable in its design, with blue ambient lighting adding a lovely touch, and everything feels top quality.

There’s no run-of-the-mill stuff going on here.

That design continues on the outside with the 3008 looking very cool and almost like it’s from a future time.

It’s irresistible.

As with most of Peugeot’s range, there are five specs – Active, Allure, GT Line, GT Line Premium and GT.

And ours, despite feeling decidedly premium, was ‘only’ Allure spec.

Even entry-level Active gets you dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, safety tech like a lane departure warning system, digital radio with smartphone integration and alloys among its spec sheet.

Allure adds front parking sensors, a colour reversing camera, sat nav and the like.

GT Line goes further, with i-Cockpit, which gives you different ambiances – and even fragrances – to choose from depending on your mood, wireless phone charging, GT Line detailing inside and out and twin exhaust trim.

GT Line Premium gives you keyless entry and start, a panoramic sunroof and an electric foot-operated tailgate, while top-end GT bills itself as ‘the ultimate in SUV luxury’ and adds adaptive cruise control, a premium sound system, 360-degree camera and a massage function on the driver’s seat among other things.

It’s a lovely drive too.

The diesel we tested, the four-cylinder 180hp version, is an excellent mix of smooth power and economy ¬ we achieved 50+ on the motorway cruise and either side of 40 around town.

That’s not bad against a claimed combined figure of 57.6.

The automatic gearbox is excellent, changing seamlessly and rarely over revving. It’s genuinely up there with the best.

There are a few engine choices. Petrol-wise you can choose the 1.2 Puretech or the 1.6 Puretech, with 130hp or 181hp respectively.

The 1.2 is good on fuel, with combined figures of 54.3, so if you’re mileage is low that’s a good option.

Diesel comes, aside from our 180 tester, in the form of a 1.5 BlueHDI with 130hp. It’s the cleanest of the range, with CO2 as low as 107g/km and it makes 69mpg on paper.

Whichever way you go, the 3008 is an all-round smooth ride with direct and satisfying handling. It’s just such an easy drive, with Peugeot’s trademark small steering wheel giving you a real sense of connection with the road.

It is, of course, very practical, with a large boot and the rear passenger space is plentiful.

The 3008 not only shows how dead cool an SUV can be, it also shows what a good place Peugeot is in these days.

Prices run from £24,109 to £36,379.