Stuff has been looking at upcoming vehicles in more detail, now that they’re becoming more of an extension of the home and office. BMW’s i8 and the Tesla Model S come to mind when considering cars that pack a lot of tech without looking like less of a road-beast and there’s now a new one that we can add to that list – from French auto maker Peugeot, of all companies.
Meet the Peugeot Quartz, a hybrid-engined SUV that is unfortunately not slated for widespread production just yet. It’s still a concept but we’re itching for the company to bring the 1.6 TLP (270HP)/2 x 85kw electric motor crossover vehicle to life.
Peugeot claims that the Quartz will feature a total horsepower of 500, when you add up the capabilities of the petrol and electric engines, and drivers will be able to use either independently – or both together, if that’s your thing. The Quartz will apparently have a range of 50km on the electric engines alone. That’s not a huge amount but since the dual electric power plants have their batteries charged during deceleration, you should be able to alternate between the two types for some fuel-saving driving.
The Quartz concept doesn’t neglect the in-car tech either by the look of things, though they haven’t been very explicit about what the vehicle will be able to do. What they are punting is easy access to vehicle controls next to or on the steering wheel, which “…offers the utmost efficiency, allowing the driver to use the indicators, change driving mode and shift gears with ease”, to use their own words. Oh and it’s called the i-Cockpit. Because of course it is.
We’ll let you know as soon as the Quartz (or something like it) from Peugeot is available to take for a spin. It might be a while but that’s fine. We can wait.
