It was already known that the next-generation Peugeot 208, due to be unveiled next year, would bring major changes.
STLA Small platform and key technology for the next Peugeot 208
It is expected to be the first Stellantis model to debut the new STLA Small platform, designed with electric vehicles in mind first, while still remaining flexible enough to accommodate combustion powertrains. Major technology launches are also confirmed, including a steering system with no physical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels (steer-by-wire).
A clean break in Peugeot 208 design: Peugeot Polygon Concept
It was also known that the third-generation 208 would be previewed by a concept, but few would have anticipated something quite so… radical. The single image released of the Peugeot Polygon Concept delivers a clear message: a decisive break with the past.
Visually, it appears to borrow nothing from the current 208 - or from any other Peugeot currently on sale - not in silhouette, proportions, or styling details.
Even allowing for the likelihood that much of what appears in this concept will be “toned down” by the time the production model arrives, the third-generation 208 looks set to open a new chapter in Peugeot design.
The Polygon presents an extremely short front end, with the windscreen finishing above the front axle, giving it a profile closer to that of an MPV. Aerodynamics clearly carry weight in the shaping of certain surfaces and elements, which also contribute to a refined, futuristic look.
Radical inside, too
The only image of the Polygon Concept - which will be shown in full on 12 November - also offers a glimpse of a cabin that appears just as radical as the exterior.
One of the highlights will be the debut of the Hypersquare steering wheel, first seen on the 2023 Inception concept. It uses a rectangular shape and, thanks to the lack of a physical link to the wheels, should allow full lock-to-lock steering in less than a single turn.
It is also a curious coincidence that the new 208 will introduce the next chapter of the i-Cockpit story, given that the first 208 (launched in 2012) debuted the solution that has defined Peugeot interiors ever since - and which still fails to achieve universal agreement today.
Speaking to Autocar, Peugeot CEO Alain Favey said that, in addition to the Hypersquare, the Polygon Concept would feature a 21″ “floating” display, seemingly following the curved-screen dashboard approach of the 3008 - even if that is not obvious in the published image.
Full reveal is imminent
The Peugeot Polygon Concept is set for its final unveiling on 12 November at 12:00 on the brand’s YouTube channel.
After the Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo - which we have already seen in person - the Peugeot Polygon Concept offers clear hints that the next generation of Stellantis compact models (B-segment), based on the new STLA Small platform, will be bolder in appearance and more technologically advanced.
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