Peugeot has unveiled the Inception, a concept car that the company says will mark a new era for its future electric vehicles. The concept was shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a rare event for Peugeot, which withdrew from the US market in 1991. The Inception is the first concept car created by Matthias Hossann, who recently became the company’s design director. It is expected to feature radical design changes and advanced technology compared to Peugeot’s current models.
Inception will be designed according to three key principles: allure, emotion, and excellence. The company plans to release five new electric vehicles in the next two years and to become all-electric in Europe by 2030. The Inception is a departure from Peugeot’s current models, with a low-slung, fastback silhouette and dimensions of 5000mm by 2100mm. It is expected that future Peugeot cars will follow the lead of the new Peugeot 408 saloon-SUV in “challenging conventional silhouettes,” according to design director Matthias Hossann.
Inception come with “generous” size, showcases the flexibility of the new STLA modular platform that will be used for future production vehicles. The platform, which will be introduced for Peugeot and other brands within the Stellantis group in the mid-2020s, will be available in four sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and Frame. The Inception is built on the Large version of the platform, which will be used for the largest, fastest, and most luxurious passenger cars within the Stellantis portfolio.
It equipped with a 100 kWh battery that is said to have a range of 500 miles, or 4.97 miles per kWh. This range is significantly greater than that of any current electric vehicle produced by Stellantis, the parent company of Peugeot. The Inception also has 800V charging hardware, which allows it to add approximately 19 miles of range per minute, or over 90 miles in five minutes, using induction technology, eliminating the need for a charging cable. It should be noted that this technology has not yet been confirmed for use in production cars.
The Inception concept car is powered by two motors, one at each end, which provide a total of 671 horsepower and enable the car to go from 0 to 62 mph in under 3 seconds. This performance is nearly twice as powerful as Peugeot’s most powerful production car and suggests that the company plans to prioritize engaging performance in its future electric vehicles.
The new STLA platform that underlies the Inception also allowed for a reevaluation of Peugeot’s traditional design elements, resulting in a car that does away with the traditional long hood and three-box silhouette of a sedan. The Inception’s design, with its sharp body lines and striking LED lighting, is meant to evoke athleticism and cabin space. The large greenhouse and removal of physical controls and a traditional dashboard maximize interior space for a grand tourer experience with optimal legroom and forward visibility.
