Peugeot 407 SW

It's a tough time to be a big car. Youthful, sharp-toothed predators stalk all around: the new Honda Accord, Vauxhall's swoopy Insignia, the quirky Citroen C5 and, of course, the ubiquitous Mondeo.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so to fend off the heel-snapping competition, Peugeot has taken its ageing 407 and given it, er, a gentle face-lift and an extra four horsepower. Ah.

It's easy to mock, but - especially in 'SW' estate guise - the 407 is still a sorted big car. This might sound like scant praise, but I reckon it's one of the best-looking of the Peugeot stable, mercifully lacking the giant-conked, scary-eyed front end of the more recent recruits. The cosmetic revisions - limited to new front and rear bumpers and a tidier front grille - keep it looking clean and sleek and quite unlike a vexed simian.

The 2.0-litre HDI turbodiesel has also been treated to a gentle overhaul: emissions are down and power is up to 140bhp from the previous engine's 136. Already one of the smoothest engines around, the diesel now feels even more velvety and, though not the quickest, gives a decent punch of low-end torque. The big let-down, as so often with Peugeot, is a flaccid six-speed manual gearbox, which jars with the easy fluidity of the rest of the car.

Overall, though, the 407 doesn't embarrass itself in the face of more illustrious competitors. It's not long until glue-factory time, but it's got a year or two left in it yet.