If Peugeot is no longer officially planning a (re)launch in the United States, it is at CES in Las Vegas that the French brand chose this Thursday to present its latest concept. Called the Inception, this prototype is of course aimed at making people dream, but it also contains substantial design elements that will be found on production models from 2025.
In its lines, this Inception may at first glance suggest the e-Legend concept, star of the 2018 Paris Motor Show. But instead of the two-door coupe inspired by the mythical 504, there is rather a large 5 -meter-long sedan with much more futuristic accents, with a large windshield that slides under a stripped-down hood. From the neo-retro automobile, we thus move to the neo, period.
Under this body, the Inception is supported by the STLA Large platform, one of the future common technical bases dedicated to 100% electric cars of the 14 brands of the Stellantis group.
NASA Hall of Mirrors
Peugeot announces a range of 800 kilometers thanks to a 100kWh battery. The 800 volt architecture allows it to carry a very fast charge, with the possibility of recovering 150 kilometers of autonomy in 5 minutes.
On the performance side: the combined power of the two engines is announced at 680 horsepower, for a 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds.
Inside, the atmosphere is refined and very modern. Also very bright with no less than 7.25 m2 of glazed surface. No fear of being dazzled or overheated thanks to the use of glass originally designed for architecture. “It retains its exceptional thermal qualities and benefits from a multichroic treatment (treatment with metal oxide baths), a process initially used for the visor of astronaut helmets by NASA,” underlines the Peugeot press release.
Peugeot reinvents the steering wheel with its Hypersquare
We also discover in this concept a surprising steering wheel: Peugeot does not use this term but evokes an “unpublished Hypersquare command”. Logical since it cannot (a priori) really turn… like a classic steering wheel.
“With your fingertips, with simple clicks or presses, you control all the driving parameters and the steer-by-wire technology (the steering wheel is no longer mechanically connected to the wheels, editor’s note) makes driving more instinctive and simple, like in a video game, but this is in real life,” the statement said.
Peugeot seems convinced, evoking “a new natural gesture, simpler and safer”, with “unmatched driving comfort”.
But how to convert specifically? Difficult to understand reading the press release, but one can imagine that it is necessary to touch one of the four cells with the thumb, with “a gesture close to the one we develop daily with our smartphones.” Let’s see if we can test this futuristic order in the short term: Peugeot intends to introduce it in a model before 2030.
New generation of the i-cockpit
Behind this reinvented steering wheel, Peugeot highlights the new generation of the i-cockpit, a term that for many years has designated its interiors and in particular the direct environment of the driver.
The screens, ubiquitous in current models, appear almost hidden and with a calm visualization.
The counter display, the “Halo Cluster” is also reinvented with a rather confusing circular shape. It is not a giant compass but a 360-degree screen, which allows you to establish “external communication” with other road users, for example.
The last stepping stone for a 21st century concept car: autonomous driving. During the driving delegation phases, the steering wheel, or rather the “Hypersquare”, retracts to make way for a large panoramic screen that unfolds from the floor of the vehicle.
Source: BFM TV
