Peugeot has launched 2023 presented at CES in Las Vegas the ‘Inception Concept’, a prototype with which the French brand gives us clues about what the design of its future electric models will be like. And although logically it will be modified before going into production, both its design and the advances it presents seem like a good appetizer of what is to come.
We are talking about a futuristic electric saloon that is based on one of the new Stellantis Group platforms and announces a combined power of 680 CV, an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and a range of 800 km.
Sharp shapes and with a certain ‘retro air’
According to the ambitious electrification strategy that the firm’s CEO, Linda Jackson, advanced a few months ago, the one with the lion “will be one of the brands of the Stellantis Group with a 100% electric range in Europe by 2030”, but not yet internationally.
Already this year Peugeot will offer at least one electrified version of each model in the range. And facing 2025, two 100% electric models will arrive.
To this end, the auto giant has been working for some time, among other things, on four specific platforms for electric cars that will come hand in hand with significant software development, state-of-the-art technology and a new design philosophy.
One of these platforms is premiered by the ‘Inception Concept’, which wants to be a juicy preview of what we can see in the immediate future of Peugeot, because according to Jackson this prototype “will mark the beginning of a new era for the brand.”
In terms of design, the first thing that stands out on the exterior of the prototype is its stylized silhouette and the angular and sharp shapes that the French brand defines as “cats” and give it a sporty and even somewhat aggressive appearance. Also the huge grille with the newly released logo in a central position or the optical groups, which in the form of claws, are large.
In the side view, the curious exterior mirrors stand out, which, instead of mirrors, are equipped with cameras, but also the backlit horizontal panel that they have baptized as “Tech Bar” and that shows specific details, such as the state of the battery and the enormous 20-inch Aerorim wheels.
These have an almost closed design, and are specifically designed to be more aerodynamic, because unlike what happens in a combustion car, they do not need as much cooling for the brakes.
The air flow is redirected above all through the front inlets located at the ends of the lower part of the prototype, and through those that we find in a rear marked by the small rear window and the giant digital optics that, by all accounts, will not be maintained. in designs closer to production.
A futuristic sedan that promises 800 km of autonomy
The ‘Inception Concept’ could advance the forms of a new electric sedan, although we will have to wait to see its final forms. At the moment, in what we can describe as a groundbreaking design exercise, the concept has dimensions of more than 5 m long and a low height of almost 1.35 m. In addition, it has a large glass surface of 7.25 m and lacks pillars or central frames.
But as almost always, the most important thing is inside: the first thing we see in the cabin is that the brand has carried out a redesign of its well-known i-cockpit driving position, now renamed “Hypersquare”. The steering wheel is still not exactly big, but it now has a rectangular shape (which we won’t see making it to production either) and houses tactile buttons.
A giant screen in a horizontal position leaves the room clear and gives it a certain air of a spaceship, emphasized by the blue ambient light. According to Peugeot, this screen replaces the others, and “works as a kind of digital and intelligent dashboard.” Nor do the seats go unnoticed, which are “immersive” and are created to be able to adapt to all kinds of physiognomies.
The ‘Inception Concept’, which is based on the new Stellantis STLA Large platform, has two electric motors that the brand describes as “ultra-efficient” (one located on the front axle and the other on the rear) and which together provide 680 CV (500 kW) of power to all four wheels and allow you to announce acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in less than three seconds.
The set is powered by a 100 kWh capacity battery, which allows the prototype to promise a range of up to 800 km on a single charge. This, by the way, can be by induction. In this case, “you can charge the equivalent of 30 km of autonomy after one minute or 150 km in five minutes.” Peugeot points out that some of the technological solutions that the ‘Inception Concept’ incorporates will be part of its range before 2030.
