Peugeot shooting brake

Autonomous Instinct revealed Plug-in hybrid shooting brake

Dramatic Instinct concept points to a connected future

THIS is the Peugeot Instinct, a concept set for next week’s Geneva Motor Show that’s designed to showcase not only a potential future look for the brand, but also the sort of connectivity which is likely to be phased in with autonomous vehicles.

The Instinct is a family-sized four-seat shooting brake, which is longer than the Peugeot 308 hatch but slightly shorter than the 308 SW estate. A petrol-based 297bhp plug-in hybrid system drives all four wheels. The show car reveals a new front-end design for Peugeot, with ultraslim headlights framed by strong, angled, vertical lines that double up as daytime running lights and animated indicators.

The headlight units contain cameras that work as part of the car’s autonomous technologies. “We wanted the cameras as the ‘eyes’ of the car, instead of having sensors all over the front,” explained Matthias Hossann, Peugeot’s head of concept cars and advanced design.

At around 55mph the light elements slide forwards by about 60mm to help create front downforce, while a thin spoiler extends from the base of the rear glass to provide the same effect at the back.

The Instinct is designed to be driven as well as offering full (Level 5) autonomy. In the car’s driverless setting, the steering wheel folds forwards as the entire column slots into the facia.

This car also hooks up to Samsung’s Artik Cloud, a service that supports the Internet of Things (IOT), which is connectivity for everything from fridges to fitness monitors. As as a result, the Instinct could carry on playing the music you were listening to in the house, for example, or suggest parking spaces further from the office if you’ve fallen behind in your fitness regime. You could also use the Artik Cloud to let someone into your house if they turn up while you’re still out, or to adjust the temperature while you’re on the way home.

Peugeot’s head of strategy Aude Brille explained that the Level 5 autonomy means the Instinct wouldn’t appear until 2025. However, Samsung’s Gilles Mazars, director of engineering for Artik Cloud, told us: “The Internet of Things technology could happen tomorrow. We have been making good progress with Peugeot on this.”

“Instinct show car reveals a new front-end design for Peugeot, with ultra-slim headlights“