Inspired by the past, powered by the future.
French marque Peugeot has, rather surprisingly, unveiled one of its Paris-bound concept cars ahead of the actual motor show, though the timing of the unveil isn’t the only surprise. The e-Legend concept is a car that we didn’t see coming until it was teased earlier this week, and even now it’s still a pretty big surprise.
It’s clear that its design is inspired by the Peugeot 504 from 1969, with its sharp lines, long bonnet, and pert rear end. The glasshouse also takes inspiration from Peugeots of old, but everything beneath is brand-new, contemporary, and utterly unique.
“The Peugeot e-Legend Concept is not just a technological manifesto. This is a vision of a brand, of Peugeot, actively focused on an optimistic and ultra-desirable future. For Peugeot, autonomous and electric are synonymous with our stronger sensations. Boredom will never be a part of our DNA.” — Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO, Peugeot
There are two electric motors, one on either axle, sandwiching a 100kWh battery between them. That’s quite a bit, in case you’re not familiar with the metrics of electric propulsion yet (neither are we, really), and so the e-Legend packs quite a punch: 340kW and 800Nm, making it capable of hitting 100km/h in under 4-seconds, before rocketing on to 220km/h. Amazingly, the e-Legend also boasts a cruising range of 600km on a single charge, with rapid charging able to replenish 500km of range in just 25-minutes.
It’s more than just a retro-inspired body on top of an electric skateboard though: The e-Legend packs some autonomous tech too, with the car able to pilot itself in either Soft or Sharp modes that alter the way the car drives itself. Of course you can always take control of the wheel in Legend mode, or opt for Boost and get, well, a boost.
Additionally, on-board infotainment comes powered by Soundhound, which Peugeot collaborated with to develop and finesse the voice-activated AI personal assistant. Additionally, Focal Audio stepped in to develop a bespoke audio system for the e-Legend which not only reproduces music in excellent quality, but also ‘enhances’ the driving experience, though it’s not entirely clear how.
The Peugeot e-Legend concept is strictly a flight of fancy for the time being, but it could be utilised as a performance- and technological-flagship for the brand in the near future, perhaps picking up where the pretty RCZ coupe left off. That said though, the company hasn’t at all detailed a possible production timeline but who knows, maybe if we’re loud enough, they’ll make a few for diehard fans.
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