THE first matt-finish car I ever saw on the road was an elegant Bentley Continental GT cruising through the equally elegant streets of Clifton, Bristol.

Since then the only other cars I had spotted with the distinctive less-than-glossy exterior were an Aston Martin Vantage and a Nissan GT-R – both arguably also in the supercar class.

So it was something of a surprise when the Peugeot 208 – the quintessential compact family hatchback – turned up sporting a dark grey matt exterior – or, in showroom speak, Ice Silver textured paint.

It is a very clear hint at the upgrades that have been made to the car, which has been one of the UK’s most popular superminis since its showroom debut four years ago.

The latest model sports revised styling, frugal Euro 6-compliant engines and extra equipment.

The test model, with a 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine linked to a five-speed manual gearbox, sported a range of extras including lime/yellow interior trim at £350, a £200 reversing camera and automatic air conditioning at £290.

The compact body is surprisingly spacious with room for five adults and a boot capable of swallowing seven full shopping bags.

This makes for a stylish, comfortable and easy-to-manage package, which is equally at home quietly sailing along at motorway speeds as nipping into tight city parking spots.

A check on the fuel consumption shows a claimed 83.1mpg on the Government’s combined fuel cycle.

Now I am not the most economical, nor the most aggressive, driver on the road. but I could not get anywhere near that figure. Suffice to say average daily fuel consumption well into the 60s is no problem, giving a serious touring range on a full tankful of fuel.

The new 208 has a more assertive and distinctive look. The new front bumper creates a sharper and more precise line, with a wider grille and deeper chrome surround now fully integrated.

New two-tone headlamps feature black and chrome masks and are fitted as standard from the Active trim level and house LED daytime running lights, with cornering-assist fog lights standard on the Allure model.

At the rear, the full LED light clusters have been redesigned to incorporate Peugeot’s signature 3D ‘claws’ motif, which makes the car stand out from the crowd at night.

Priced from about £12,000, the new 208 is available in three- and five-door body styles, and comes in four trim levels – Access A/C, Active, Allure and GT Line.

The latter is a new addition to the range and, following the lead of the larger 308, adopts many styling cues from the GTi model.

All versions of the 208 now come with manual air conditioning and Bluetooth connectivity as standard.

For a more performance-oriented body style, the 208 GTi, 208 GTi Prestige and 208 ‘GTi by PEUGEOT Sport’ are available as three-door variants.

Here, the latter builds on the popularity of the 208 GTi 30th, the most exclusive and radical GTi the company has created. With unique badging, it features a lowered ride height, wider tracks, 18-inch wheels, matt black exterior features, sports seats, red floor mats and two-tone paintwork.

The ‘textured’ paint, by the way, costs an extra £645, the same as pearlescent finishes, and Peugeot says it needs no special care by owners. It is one feature that shows the French carmaker’s best-selling little sparkler remains anything but dull.

AT A GLANCE
Insurance group: 20D
Fuel consumption (Combined): 83.1mpg
Top speed: 116mph
Length: 397.3cm/156.4in
Width: 200cm/78in
Luggage capacity: 10 cu ft
Fuel tank capacity: 11 gallons/50 litres
CO2 emissions: 87g/km
Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles