Peugeot Concept Tries EV & AV With Retro Charm

Yet another premium executive all-electric car is soon to be unveiled but, Hallelujah, this new Peugeot concept is not an SUV!

Yes, a sleek good-looking saloon, or sedan for our US audience, will make its global debut at the Paris Motor Show 2018 next month. Dubbed the e-Legend Concept, the car is also designed to have autonomous driving modes with, naturally, state-of-the-art connectivity.

The carmaker says the design of the car still carries the brand’s DNA and, to be honest, there are some lovely echoes of the much revered old Peugeot 204 – one of the brand’s most successful models which stayed in production between 1965 to 1976. Hopefully, if the concept is anything like its Pininfarina-designed ancestor, it will also deliver on Peugeot’s promise that “whilst adhering to its philosophy that the technology of the future should exist to deliver driving pleasure for its users”.

The concept is powered by an electric powertrain, with the 100 kWh batteries delivering 800 Nm torque and 455 hp (340 Kw) power through four-wheel drive.  It promises a 0-62mph sprint time of less than 4 seconds and a top speed of 136mph while still maintaining a charging range of 372 miles and a 25 minute fast recharge is claimed to give a 310 mile range.

Inside the cabin, the steering wheel is retractable and a 49-inch digital screen replaces the windscreen. The front seats recline for steeply and the side armrests deploy automatically, freeing up a storage area and an induction charging of smartphones and other devices.

Its promised autonomous modes are:

1. Soft – focused on the comfort of passenger, with projection on digital material screens and information displays reduced to a minimum;
2. Sharp – with maximum connectivity for digital activities, such as on social networks, arranging electronic calendars, etc.;

At the same time there will be two manual modes:

1. Legend – cruising mode with a retro styled digital including wood effects;
2. Boost – dynamic and stimulating driving with 180-degree immersion for the driver and a projection of the road on a single, large screen.

Other special features include a sound system enhanced by a partnership with AI technology company, Soundhound, offering a voice-activated personal assistant to change the driving style of the car, listen to music or even open and close the electrified doors. The system works in 17 different languages and Peugeot promises a version of this will be available on its production vehicles within two years.

Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of PEUGEOT, said: “Peugeot e-Legend Concept is not just a technological manifesto. This is the vision of a brand actively focused on an optimistic and ultra-desirable future. For Peugeot, autonomy and electric are synonymous with even stronger sensations. Boredom will never be part of our DNA.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_