Space wagon

TO call the Peugeot 308 SW's direct injection petrol engine a little gem is an understatement. This three-cylinder unit displaces just 1.2 litres but is turbocharged to produce an eye-popping 230 Newton-metres of torque from just 1,750 rpm.

Harness it to drive the front wheels of a barely 1,200 kg station wagon and this sub-compact Peugeot becomes a powerhouse.

The 10.2-second dash from zero to 100 kmh may not sound like much on paper, but on the road, it feels absolutely zippy.