The Peugeot Instinct Previews A Beautiful Autonomous Future

French carmaker Peugeot, which comes under the PSA Group, has showcased the Instinct concept car. This car is a demonstration of Peugeot's intentions of making autonomous vehicles. Don't get your hopes up just yet - this car is not headed for production. However, there are two precise reasons why this concept is cool even when it will not see the light of the day - technology and feasibility.

Before we talk about the reasons, let's talk about the car for a bit. The Instinct concept features a 300PS plug-in hybrid powertrain. Aerodynamics and efficiency resulted in the car's shooting brake design. The concept features an active spoiler and active air blade. An integrated active air duct helps direct air via front and rear doors over the rear wheel arch. Its grille has been 3D-printed and the LEDs up front have cameras in them for autonomous driving purposes.

Peugeot says the Instinct concept car is a Level 5 autonomous vehicle. To that end, it has two autonomous driving modes - Soft (leisurely drive) and Sharp (spirited drive). Software updates will help in letting the car also drive you around like you would if riding shotgun in a car driven by Sebastian Loeb (as per the concept's designer Matthias Hossann). If you feel like driving yourself, there will be two modes - Relax and Boost.

The car can connect with your smart gadgets such as a smartphone, smartwatch and smart home products to provide a seamless user experience. Say, if you are tired, the car will switch to autonomous driving and will direct the smart home devices to maintain your house's temperature at a certain level. The car has a holographic display behind the steering wheel. The steering wheel can retract and a smart device next to the central console screen allows you to command the car.

As far as feasibility is concerned, Peugeot is looking to automate its entire car lineup by 2025. No, we are not talking semi-autonomous capabilities but Level 5 capabilities that this concept demonstrates. To that end, Peugeot has confirmed that autonomous versions of its cars will be made on their existing platforms. To showcase this aspect, Peugeot has gone for a four-seat configuration in the Instinct concept. The company claims that the Instinct concept is as spacious inside as the 308 hatchback, making it a car which a family can use.

Autonomous vehicles may be the future, but the Instinct concept shows they don't have to look bland or crazy. This is a hurdle many autonomous car makers may have to cross in the future. After all, a car's first impression is how it looks and the Instinct concept looks great (the shooting brake design is a nice touch too).