While the future car is going to be electric in some form or the other, how they look is going to be interesting with an EV canvas stretching the boundaries of design. The sleek electric Peugeot Inception Concept, for example, showcases how its cars would look from 2025 onwards and it is a radical departure from the current fare.
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Peugeot Inception Concept | Image: Stellantis
The striking proportions are the main highlight with its distinctive ‘claw design’, which is merged with the front grille to create a single object that also houses the sensors. This is made up of a single piece of glass with the logo in the centre, magnified by the 3D luminescent effect. Peugeot also takes gadgetry to a new level with a ‘tech bar’ which basically displays various information when the car senses the driver is near it via AI. Drivers can set up comfort settings and even check the battery level- all while not even entering the car!
“Peugeot is committed to the electrification of its range. In 2023, 100 per cent of the vehicles in the range will be electrified and in the next two years, five new 100 per cent electric models will be launched,” Linda Jackson CEO of Peugeot said. “Our ambition is simple: to make Peugeot the leading electric brand in Europe by 2030. This objective and ambitious vision pave the way for a radical transformation for the brand. It is embodied today in the Peugeot Inception Concept which marks the beginning of a new era! Peugeot promises that the world is a better place with Allure, the Peugeot Inception Concept embodies the meaning of this promise from today onwards”.
Peugeot Inception Concept | Image: Stellantis
The futuristic vibe has been carried over to the interiors where the cabin has a Star Trek feel with a glass capsule along with a multi-chrome treatment (treatment with metal oxides), a process initially used for the visors of astronauts’ helmets by NASA. Of course, it will be AI-powered with technological modules like STLA Brain, STLA SmartCockpit and STLA AutoDrive. Peugeot says that its future models will be equipped with STLA Brain artificial intelligence and will be fully connected.
Based on the STLA Large platform, one of four future Stellantis Group “BEV-by-design” platforms, the silhouette of the Inception is low-slung at just 1.34m tall while being a long car at 5m in length. Powered by a 100kWh battery along with two motors, the power output is 680bhp and it will accelerate from 0-62mph in under three seconds. The model also features 800V technology, enabling it to add 93 miles of range in just five minutes, and is capable of wireless induction charging. Speaking of which, the range is an ample 497 miles.
Peugeot Inception Concept | Image: Stellantis
“Peugeot is changing, but the Peugeot Inception Concept remains unmistakeably a Peugeot. It expresses the timeless feline attraction of the brand and shows how optimistic we are about the future of the car and the emotions it provides,” Matthias Hossann, Peugeot design director said. “Bright and full of light, the Peugeot Inception Concept reinvents the spatial experience of driving while illustrating some of our thinking behind reducing Peugeot’s carbon footprint by more than 50 per cent by 2030. The transformation of the brand concerns all aspects of the design, production and life of tomorrow’s Peugeot. Design is an integral part of this transformation. “
While some of these features seems like a pipe dream, the new concept does shine a light on Peugeot’s plans for the future. If this first look is anything to go by, we like what we see.
Peugeot Inception Concept | Image: Stellantis
