Peugeot has revealed images and details of a new concept car called the Instinct, which previews the French manufacturer’s future development of autonomous vehicles. It will debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show this March.
The Instinct is a sporty hybrid shooting brake which combines estate and coupe design elements. Highlights of the design include the incredibly slim LED headlights which contain cameras and the 3D-printed front grille. The Peugeot also has some movable aerodynamics which become active when the car travels beyond 50mph, including a thin, deployable spoiler.
The four-seater Instinct is longer than a Peugeot 308 hatchback but shorter than the 308 SW and its ride height is significantly lower than both. The four-wheel drive plug-in hybrid powertrain combines a petrol engine and electric motor to deliver a total of 297bhp.
Peugeot has designed its Instinct so that it can be driven either by a driver or in a semi or fully autonomous format. When the car is in its fully autonomous mode, the steering wheel moves away from the driver and slots within the dashboard trim.
Using a hand controller near the bottom of the centre console, drivers can choose how gently or aggressively they want the car to be driven while it’s in full autonomous mode. With Samsung’s Artik Cloud system onboard, the car’s infotainment device can integrate with other compatible devices and provide passengers info and advice on things like their fitness regime or the best parking spot near their intended destination.
Peugeot reportedly believe that the autonomous technology demonstrated on its Instinct concept will likely be ready to be included on their production cars by 2025.
