Shown at the Paris Motor Show, Peugeot’s e-Legend Concept might be a fan favorite among the electric concept cars. Inspired by the design of the classic Peugeot 504 coupe, it has an aggressive styling similar to the Ford Mustang GT. However, hidden under the old-school muscle car look is an all-electric, fully autonomous, connected vehicle. This model looks to the future without destroying the past of the French brand. The result is fascinating.
A Muscle Car for the New Age
The idea behind the e-Legend is that you do not need to compromise on anything. The concept has a variety of driving modes. Two autopilot modes send the steering wheel into the dashboard, while they give access to a curved 49-inch widescreen display. The Soft mode reduces disturbances and distractions to an absolute minimum, while the Sharp mode is an option that maximizes connection to digital activity, like social networks for example. If you actually decide to drive, the Legend mode is the default, and it packs a Boost option, which enhances the driving excitement and experience.
Voice commands are used to control driving modes, music, opens, and closes the electrical doors. This is designed for completely autonomous driving pleasure. Peugeot says that a version of this assistant will make its way to production vehicles as well, probably in the next two years.
French at its Finest
Focal, a fellow company from France collaborated with Peugeot on the sound system of the e-Legend Concept. This includes great audio zoning features like creating an audio bubble for each passenger or sending navigation instructions to the driver. Therefore, everyone can be in his or her own world within the enclosed space of a car. The French carmaker also partnered with a Parisian perfumery, Ex Nihilo, to develop two custom scents for this model. Unfortunately, access to the vehicle was denied at the premiere, so nobody yet knows how this neat detail feels like, and what the aromas of these perfumes are.
What about the Interior?
The interior is unusual. The steering wheel is angular, while every flat surface seems to have a display. There is a total of 16 screens inside the e-Legend, a 12-inch screen in each of the sunshades and 29-inch displays in the doors. A company like Nvidia will surely be excited about this, as they will provide chips to power as many screens as the manufacturer can fit inside a car. Although cool, some believe all this is unnecessary.
Under the Hood
When it comes to the most important thing for petrolheads, the Peugeot e-Legend runs on a fully electric drivetrain that delivers 340kW to the four wheels. It makes it go from zero to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in less than four seconds. A 600km (370 miles) range was promised, with a fast charging option that will replenish more than 80% of charge in under 25 minutes. In addition, an option with the inductive charging will be available.
A Familiar, Yet Different Exterior
By far the most intriguing thing about the e-Legend is the amazing exterior design. Reminiscent of the famous muscle cars like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro or Dodge Challenger, this electric vehicle definitely lives up to the French carmaker’s claim that the “boring” design is not in their DNA. Whether you decide to grab it by the wheel or let it drive you around by itself, a model like this looks awesome under every circumstance, which is very important.
