WHEN we first got behind the wheel of the Peugeot 508 range at the local launch in July last year, we were immediately impressed by the distance the French marque had travelled from the mediocre 407 sedan and wagon. Offering a hitherto unexpected level of class, dynamism and quality, the 508 represented a monumental step up from its successor, while keen pricing threw it well into the mix against the sharper members of an accomplished vehicle segment. But sometimes a quick test can be deceptive, so we decided to spend a week behind the wheel of a mid-range Allure 2.0-litre HDi sedan to see if this big Pug deserves to be considered among the pointy end of the mid-size class.