Performance estate cars seem like the last things we should be expecting from mainstream manufacturers these days, as the nation evidently yearns for SUVs, crossovers and any other niche that happens to pop up.
But kudos to Peugeot, not only for making a genuinely fast and attractive estate car, but for adding in plug-in hybrid tech, and for making it look so bloomin' attractive.
This is the Peugeot 508 PSE. It stands for Peugeot Sport Engineered and it's actually the most powerful production Peugeot we've ever been treated to.
It's also available as a saloon, but in estate guise it makes more aesthetic - not to mention practical - sense. But it's utterly gorgeous in either case.
It's powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which doesn't sound all that special, but that's combined with a pair of electric motors – one for each axle – and this all adds up to 360hp and 520nm.
So the important figures are a 0-62mph time of 5.2secs and a 155mph top speed, along with a remarkable official CO2 claim of 41g/km and 138.9mpg.
Lower and stiffer suspension with adjustable dampers takes care of the handling, and it's stiff enough with enough grunt to keep up with hot Audis and BMWs with similar power.
The eight-speed automatic gearbox doesn't quite match up to the trick DSG units out there, and obviously, you won't get the theatrical exhaust notes from a small four-cylinder engine, but take all that away and it's still a surprisingly entertaining car, with power coming from four axles to give you just a little bit of fun in the bends.
Inside, there's a quality feel from Peugeot's now familiar i-Cockpit, and I'm finally starting to get used to the implausibly small steering wheel.
Piano-key switches and a few essential physical buttons offer a quick route into many of the settings, but plenty still needs to be controlled from the central display. Although it's doubtless the best infotainment system Peugeot has ever put out.
Rear space is pretty good, but the low roof can make it feel a tad claustrophobic for some adults. I also dislike the awkward quarter lights that stick up on the rear doors if you open them with the windows down. I'm a big fan of pillarless doors, but the rear windows surely could have been integrated more elegantly.
A 530-litre boot in the estate is nice though, achieved by the batteries being neatly tucked away rather than encroaching on the luggage space. It does all feel a bit "dark" inside, though, especially in the rear.
The plug-in hybrid system is a strong attribute for a sports saloon, and it'll offer up to 26 miles of silent cruising on a full charge, which you can add from a wall-box, or from a self-charging mode done from the engine and from regenerative braking.
This will eat into fuel economy, but once you get used to it you can start to build yourself a bit of an energy strategy. It's rather fun.
The hybrid system's low emission figures work wonders for the Benefit in Kind rates, which make it a dream ticket for company car users. And that's a good thing, because the 508PSE in estate form, the SW, it costs £56,575. So it's perhaps a bit of a tough sell for private buyers.
Happily though, equipment levels are extremely generous, and Peugeot's build quality feels as good as it ever has right now, so you won't feel as short-changed as you'd expect if someone parks next to you in an Audi RS4.
And that's kind of the point with the 508PSE. It feels exclusive, and special. It looks fantastic and stands out much more than the German rivals.
In the standard grey colour, with those distinctive green accents, it turns heads and draws in admiring glances. It's bold and daring at the same time as being elegant and subtle.
It's actually a brilliant all-rounder, which is an attribute shared with any powerful estate car.
I'd have to think back to my adolescence to remember a Peugeot I've properly desired, but here we are again, weighing up one of the best cars it's ever produced.
It might not bring back memories of the brand's greats such as the 205 GTI and the 106 Rallye but it's very much of its time, and hopefully the start of a glorious return to form.
