Peugeot Polygon Concept

The Peugeot Polygon Concept is the concept car that anticipates, with its technologies, what will be the vehicles in segment B that the French company will bring to market as early as next year with the next evolution of the Peugeot 208.

The main technical feature of the Polygon is the steering system, referred to as Hypersquare. It is an electronic Steer-by-Wire system, meaning there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels; everything is electronically controlled by a fully redundant system.

This technical solution presents numerous advantages, facilitating maneuvers in tight spaces. At lower speeds, the steering responds to inputs by angling the wheels markedly, allowing for, for example, U-turns without having to remove your hands from the wheel. As speed increases, the response changes, becoming less direct to enhance driving precision when needed.

Polygon is a vehicle that, precisely because of its name, aims to be offered in various facets. Hence, the high level of customization, with interior solutions that are very original and focus on environmental sustainability.

The choice to use two gullwing doors has made it easier to get onboard, especially for the two rear seats. The overall construction, even with a length of less than 4 meters, has allowed for a very high wheelbase, greatly benefiting passenger space: the wheels are mounted close to the front and rear profiles thanks to the electric drive and the absence of the mechanical part of the steering column.

The interiors of this concept car also showcase some design choices that may later be implemented, certainly in a less extreme form, in future Peugeot vehicles. One example is the cluster, which is entirely replaced by a vertically mounted screen behind the Hypersquare steering wheel that projects information directly onto the windshield, offering the maximum possible field of view.

For the dashboard, a design that is as simple as possible has been chosen, using the same material as the seats and allowing for a complete transformation of the interior depending on the specific version of the vehicle to be developed.

When put to the test, the Steer-by-Wire system proved to be very effective: at low speeds, it allows for moving the car with a very small steering angle and, above all, without the need to remove one’s hands. The rectangular Hypersquare steering wheel has proven to be practical: the four openings allow fingers to be positioned to replicate the classic 9:15 position, which is no longer released thanks to the immediate and very direct steering response.

As is the case with all concept cars, what is implemented in the Polygon Concept may not find its way into future Peugeot vehicles. However, we will see the first implementation of the Steer-by-Wire system as early as 2027, with the next generation of the Peugeot 208.