Polygon Concept Concept Study on Peugeot's Small Car Future

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Gullwing doors, rectangular steering wheel and digital twins in Fortnite: Peugeot shows what technology the next 208 could have. Many concepts are to be transferred to series production.

With the "Polygon Concept", Peugeot has presented a futuristic-looking small car concept that is intended to give a foretaste of the successor to the 208, which will be launched in 2027. The concept car, which is less than four meters long, is intended to combine driving pleasure and sustainability, while also hinting at how Peugeot is rethinking the interaction between man and machine. The French company has not provided any information on performance, battery size or range, but one thing is clear: the Polygon Concept's drive system is purely electric.

Visually, the Polygon Concept appears as a compact, flat city runabout that combines clear surfaces, short overhangs and a narrow waistline with large glass sections. The two wide-opening gullwing doors are striking, making it easier to get in and emphasizing the minimalist design. Micro-LED elements characterize the front and rear; the familiar three-claw light motif appears in a new, horizontal interpretation.

Newly Designed "i-Cockpit"

However, the focus of the concept car is on the interior, in particular the reinterpretation of the Peugeot i cockpit. The centerpiece is the newly developed, rectangular "Hypersquare" steering wheel, which, together with steer-by-wire technology, replaces the traditional mechanical steering principle. There is no longer a direct connection between the steering and the wheels; all commands are transmitted electronically.

According to Peugeot, this enables precise and variable steering: at low speeds, the vehicle can be parked with small steering movements, while at higher speeds the steering reacts sensitively and directly.

The Hypersquare is also a control unit. At its four corners are round pods that can be used to control vehicle functions at the touch of a finger. Behind it, a micro LED panel replaces the classic instruments. All information is projected directly onto the windshield, which thus serves as a large, individually configurable screen. Depending on the driving mode—such as "Cruise", "Fun" or "Hyper"—the visual environment inside and outside the vehicle changes, including lighting and animations.

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3D-Printed Seats

The interior design also follows a new approach. The elimination of the B-pillar and the windshield extending far forward create a bright, open space with generous all-round visibility. The dashboard and center console have a modular design and offer holders for personal items. The seats consist of 3D-printed shells made from recycled plastic and lined with molded foam. This process was developed together with the Spanish company Nagami, while the Belgian furniture manufacturer Sixinch contributed the one-piece foam structure. In this way, Peugeot not only reduces the number of components, but also aims to improve recyclability at the end of the products' lives.

Numerous exterior components—such as hubcaps, elements of the dashboard or the hypersquare—can be easily exchanged or varied in color. Goodyear supplies tires with laser-cut sidewalls that pick up on the color of the vehicle design. A so-called SightLine technology also transmits tire data to the cockpit in real time. The paint of the Polygon Concept contains recycled rubber components and the interior trim is made from a new type of "forged" textile made from old materials from previous Peugeot vehicles.

Digital Models at Fortnite

The Polygon serves as a test vehicle, a source of ideas and a preview of future production models. The outlook for the combination of hypersquare steering wheel and steer-by-wire, which is to be used for the first time in a production Peugeot in 2027, is very specific. The concept is not only a show car for trade fairs, but can also be experienced digitally in the specially developed Fortnite island "Polygon City". There, the vehicle is presented in three different styles: as an urban city runabout, as a sporty "Player" or as a robustly styled "Explorer". This should also make it clear where the journey for the small electric car is heading: towards a future in which technology, sustainability and fun merge into a new form of driving pleasure.

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