A decade on from the introduction of its i-Cockpit dashboard, Peugeot is preparing to make another leap in the way drivers interact with its cars. CEO Linda Jackson says the Hypersquare steering wheel seen on the Inception Concept unveiled at CES this week will be fitted to a Peugeot road car by 2026.
One of the most eye-catching features of the Inception is a rectangular steering wheel containing four circular controllers that are used to operate major functions on the car. Steer-by-wire technology allows the concept’s steering wheel to fold away when its Level 4 autonomous function is engaged, and although Peugeot’s production wheels will remain firmly in place three years from now, both the steering wheel design and the steer-by-wire tech are ready to make the leap to the showroom.
As Lexus does with the RX, Peugeot will use steer-by-wire to drastically reduce the number of steering turns between lockstops, meaning drivers never have to taken their hands off the rim and cross them over when making sharp turns. Ironically, given the technology removes a solid mechanical link to the front wheels, Peugeot claims the technology helps driver’s feel “more connected” to the car.
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The bold design is bound to prove polarizing, but Peugeot is no stranger to making controversial design changes to its interiors and driver controls. The firm’s i-Cockpits have dispensed with conventional large steering wheels and dashboard displays viewed through the wheel for a small steering wheel mounted low down in the driver’s lap that requires him to peer over the rim to look at the high-set gauge cluster.
There were plenty of complaints when the design launched on the 208 in 2012, but it appears to have been a hit with drivers, and similar setups are now also used on cars like the Toyota bZ4X. Asked if he’s convinced Peugeot owners want another radical reinvention of their steering controls, a senior company engineer replied that it was already trialing the technology with customers and the feedback has been very promising. He added that the production steering wheel would be fully compatible with an airbag.
CEO Jackson was also quick to warn that we shouldn’t take Peugeot’s decision to launch in CES in Las Vegas as a hint that it’s ready to U-turn on its 2021 decision to abandon a planned brand re-launch in North America. Peugeot hasn’t been present in the U.S. since the early 1990s, and a planned return was axed so that Stellantis could focus on Alfa Romeo’s expansion in the U.S. and Canada.