Peugeot unveils extraordinary electric concept

But not in saloon form. The new concept takes its cue from the Pininfarina-styled and built 504 Coupe launched in Geneva a year later, in 1969. The 504 saloon went on to rule the world, especially the remoter bits of it, while the 504 Coupe (and its convertible sister) merely went down in history as one of the most elegant and unpretentious two-doors ever made.

So, a bit for the new e-Legend to live up to. Updating a beloved heritage model can be a fraught business, but heritage sells – especially in a digital world – and Peugeot hasn’t shirked from it.

Shouts of “it’s not as pretty as the original” won’t worry Peugeot design chief Gilles Videl. Despite its retro inspiration, this is a resolutely forward-looking car: electrically-powered, autonomously driven and stuffed with hi-tech features. One of those features can turn the e-Legend’s expansive dashboard screen into a digital re-creation of the old 504’s dash and dials. It’s a nice touch but ultimately not what this car is all about.

“This is the vision of a brand actively focused on an optimistic and ultra-desirable future,” said Peugeot chief Jean-Philippe Imparato. “For Peugeot, autonomy and electric are synonymous with even stronger sensations. Boredom will never be part of our DNA.”

The two-door boasts all the de rigueur technological feats of cars in 2018. It’s powered by a 100kWh  battery feeding electric motors front and back. They deliver 462PS (456bhp) to all four wheels, allowing a 0-62mph sprint time of under four seconds, says Peugeot. Maximum speed is 136mph and the range is up to 372 miles according to the WLTP test procedure. A fast-charge capability can give you 300 miles of that range in just 25 minutes.

All this electrification is in line with Groupe PSA’s commitment to have each of its five brands (Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Vauxhall and Opel) launching either full electric or hybrid versions of every new model from 2019. This will see seven new electric models and eight new plug-in hybrid models arriving over the next two years.

The Peugeot e-Legend also previews autonomous driving based around a system of different driving modes for manual or automatic control. Heritage lovers can cruise along in Legend mode (the one that recreates the 504’s dashboard) while keen pedallers can hit the Boost button for a more stimulating drive. Meanwhile if mood or traffic conditions dictate it, you can switch to autonomous whereupon the steering wheel retracts, the car drives itself, maximum connectivity is turned on and the cabin environment morphs into one for relaxation and infotainment.

Peugeot says e-Legend’s technologies add up to a realistic but radically modern template for a Peugeot of the future, one that combines ultra-tech with the brand’s heritage DNA.

And what then of that styling? The silhouette, thin pillars, quadruple oblong lights and rake of the screens all are instantly identifiable as 504 Coupe inspired. Which is something of a shock given just how un-504 like, indeed un-Peugeot like, it is in other ways. From some angles it is menacing in an American musclecar way. Having said that the more we see it the more it grows on us.

You can in fact tell design chief Gilles what you think of it in (virtual) person: his is the voice used for the car’s digitised personal assistant…