Others carmakers prefer to sweep the decks, banishing a festering old model to history with a shiny successor. Peugeot have taken both tacks with the 807.

When the 807 was first introduced, it was a radically different car to its predecessor, the frumpy 806, as were the two other cars developed alongside it, Citroen's C8 and Fiat Ulysse. Since then however, the French company has gone the route of stealthy change, culminating in the most recent package of updates which have come without significant change to pricing which starts at £19,695.

So to the changes. The big one is the introduction of the 170bhp 2.2-litre HDi engine to top off the engine range although Peugeot has also indulged in some cosmetic jiggery-pokery in an effort to keep the 807 fresh.

All models now have body-coloured bumpers and side mouldings with chrome inserts for the door handles. The interior is now in Mistral Black trim which aims to inject a little class to proceedings.

In addition to the technical tweaks, the 807 range gets a package of specific trim level enhancements. The hierarchy runs from S through SE to Executive and it's the SE models that profit most.

These versions now feature the Visibility Pack which includes automatic headlamps with security illumination that keeps the lights on while you get to your door and rain-sensing wipers. A leather steering wheel and tinted side glass are also thrown in. The Executive derivatives get front parking sensors and black leather trim.

The engine range is heavily weighted towards diesel. A 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 143bhp opens proceedings and does a commendable job but from there, it's oil-burning all the way.

The 2.0HDi 16v diesel engine is good for 120bhp, not too far shy of its more powerful 136bhp 2.0-litre sibling. The range-topping unit brings 2.2-litres and 170bhp to the party ably escorted by a 375Nm torque output accessible through a freshly developed six-speed automatic gearbox.

That's a lot of muscle, even compared to the 320Nm you get from the more powerful 2.0-litre HDI unit. Like most Peugeots, the 807 is good to drive, with all the engines having a claim on your attention. The gearchange isn't the last word in sweet shifting slickness, but an automatic is available if this feature grates and the HDi models now come with a 6-speed manual box as standard.

As suggested, three trim levels are available, starting with S, rising through SE and topping out at Executive. Even the entry-level model gets a CD stereo, digital air conditioning, a dash-mounted multifunction display screen and remote central locking, but the real party piece comes when you step up to the plusher models.

These feature electrically operated sliding side doors which can be triggered via the key fob. If only they were a little quicker or the key fob had more range, the effect would be better but it's still pretty slick stuff. They also remove the embarrassment of children opening rear doors into parked cars in public car parks.

The 807 is stuffed to its very gunwales with safety equipment which has resulted in a creditable five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.

As well as the customary twin front airbags, the 807 gets side bags and curtain airbags for all three rows of seats, making it the first car in the world to feature this facility as standard.