Peugeot debuted a new all-electric concept at the CES 2023 as the brand starts to move towards electric mobility. Called the Inception, the concept was underpinned by the largest iteration of parent firm Stellantis’ upcoming STLA modular architecture and is a preview of the brand’s future car designs.
The Inception takes the form of a sleek and futuristic-looking coupe with angular design elements and new interpretations of some of the brand’s signature design elements. Up front the ‘grille’ is made up of a single-piece panel featuring a 3D luminescent design of the grille with the Peugeot logo at the centre. The panel also houses the headlamps on the outer edges in the form of the brand’s distinctive claw design (three parallel vertical slats). The base of the windscreen dips below the bonnet line with the glass house extending all the way to the C-pillar with the yellow tinting courtesy of a special oxide treatment process used by NASA for astronaut helmet visors.
Speaking of the glass house, the Inception features 7.25 square metres of glass house essentially cocooning the occupants in a glass cabin with the windshield’s base sitting near the driver’s feet.
The sleek design becomes apparent in profile with the Inception sitting low to the ground (the 5-metre-long concept is only 1.34 metres tall) with the wheels spread to the very edges. A unique design element is the Tech Bar that runs between the wheels. The bar is a display that not only displays the vehicle’s state of charge but also shows messages when the driver or a passenger approaches the vehicle.
As with the front the rear too features a glass panel housing the signature light claw design for the tail-lamp along with the illuminated brand name and various sensors.
Like sleek and futuristic look carries forward to the cabin as well. The company says that the minimalist interior is inspired by video games and preview’s the future of the brand’s i-Cockpit design. The square steering wheel is part of Peugeot Hypersquare control system with the vehicle featuring a drive-by-wire control rather than an actual physical connect with the wheels. The centre of the steering houses a display for various control information while the individual circles positioned alongside offer access to adjust various parameters such air conditioning, radio volume, ADAS etc.
Coming to the powertrain, the Inception concept features an all-wheel drive system with an electric motor mounted to each axle providing a combined 671 bhp and a sub-3 second 0-100 kmph time. The motors are paired with a large 100 kWh battery pack giving the concept a range of up to 800 km. The EV features an 800V electric architecture with inductive charging support.
The Inception isn’t expected to make production though elements of the design are expected to make it to Peugeot’s future EVs that will use the STLA platform. The company is eyeing going all electric by 2030 - a target set by many European car companies.
