The 2018 Paris Motor Show is almost here and Peugeot has just given us an incentive to check out their section with this — the e-Legend Concept. An all-electric sports car with 100% autonomous capability that will be connected to the Internet of Things, the e-Legend Concept is a hint at a not-so-distant future of Peugeot cars.
In a sea of electric concepts of all sorts, the e-Legend stands out thanks to its handsome styling which Peugeot explains is inspired by their 504 Coupe. Perhaps, the element of realism instead of unrestricted imagination is part of the design’s allure with its athletic silhouette, large muscley wheel arches that cover the 19-inch rims wrapped in Michelin tyres and the sharp edges for a sporty feel.
The interiors are pretty futuristic with digital material divided into two themes: bronze-like line networks or networks of lines imitating cabinet-making wood; broadcasted on 16 screens of different sizes. The 6-inch touchscreen on the floating centre console also gets a rotary dial for the main driving controls. To the left of the stowable steering wheel (it’s autonomous too remember), there is a digital toggle bar for configurable commands depending on the driving mode. The H-design seats are also inspired by the Peugeot 504 Coupe and offer comfort and support thanks to the use of shape memory foams.
Moving onto the electric powertrain of the Peugeot e-Legend Concept, we are told it is powered by 100kWh batteries with a claimed range of 600km as per the WLTP testing protocol. About 500km worth of range can be attained in 25 minutes via fast charging. The power is distributed to the four-wheel-drive system and there is plenty of it: 450bhp and 800Nm of torque. Peugeot says that’s enough to for the e-Legend to do 0-100kph in under 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 220kph.
The e-Legend concept also has a variety of driving modes depending on who’s driving it – human or software. The two autonomous modes are ‘Soft’ and ‘Sharp’. As the name suggests, ‘Soft’ favours the comfort of the occupants with the projection on the digital material screens and information display being reduced to a minimum. Whereas ‘Sharp’ sets the car for accurate and dynamic driving as well as maximum connection to all digital activities possible in the cabin. When in autonomous mode, the interior of the e-Legend concept also makes a few changes: thanks to steer-by-wire tech the steering wheel retracts under the sound bar to fully clear the 49-inch screen; the front seats recline; and the side armrests self-deploy while the main controls remain accessible via the central console that is integrated into the driver’s seat.
There are two manual driving modes as well should the occupant feel the urge to take control — ‘Legend’ and ‘Boost’. ‘Legend’ is the cruising mode which brings up three dials and displays digitally-processed wood on the different screens. ‘Boost’ mode is the dynamic driving mode with the projection of the road on a single large screen.
Peugeot has also teamed up with Soundhound Inc. to offer a voice-activated personal assistant suitable for autonomous driving with a plan to offer an adapted version on production vehicles within the next 2 years. The AI will be a digitized version of the voice of Gilles Vidal, Style Director at Peugeot.
What do you make of the new Peugeot e-Legend Concept? Is the idea of electric sports cars starting to look appealing with such exciting designs? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe for the latest updates on the newest content from The Auto Loons.
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