- Concept 6 previews a successor to the old 508 wagon.
- Concept 8 teases a possible future flagship electric SUV.
- Peugeot also showed Polygon hatch concept at Beijing.
Peugeot wants back into the big-car conversation. That’s the obvious takeaway from the Beijing Auto Show, where Peugeot revealed two concepts that preview future flagship EVs and drop clues about the brand’s styling ideas for tomorrow.
The more interesting of the duo as far as enthusiasts are concerned might be Concept 6, which could be our first hint of a successor the 508 that went out of production last year. Peugeot describes the 6 as a large sedan, and any production version will probably offer a sedan body style. But in Beijing show-car form it’s a sleek fastback wagon that will hopefully also translate to a real-life 508 SW.
Related: Peugeot Is Quietly Preparing Its Most Radical Steering Wheel Yet for Production
Judging from the angle of that rear window, practicality takes a back seat to design flair, though the roofline doesn’t drop away until it reaches the C-pillar, so hopefully passengers in the actual back seat won’t feel the compromise.
Shades of R8
A split rear spoiler, lit Peugeot crest and six horizontally oriented LEDs make an impression at the rear, while the front end has an equally sporty vibe, reminding us of an Audi R8. The three horizontal LEDs on each side are a new take on Peugeot’s illuminated claw marks.
It’s easy to see the Concept 6 as a new 508, but the Concept 8 is possibly more ambitious, potentially showing us Peugeot’s aspirations for a big luxury SUV that sits above the current 5008. This idea is backed up by comments Peugeot CEO Alain Favey previously made to Autocar, where he told the them he was “thinking about” a new halo SUV.
The Concept 8 employs the same split spoiler and horizontal light bar ideas as the wagon, plus its clean surfaces, voluptuous rear fenders and pinched waist. Those same design cues can also be seen in the Polygon concept, believed to be a preview of the next 208 hatch. We got a look at it last year and it makes its China debut alongside the Concepts 6 and 8 this week.
Peugeot says the production cars the 6 and 8 hint at are designed predominantly for the Chinese market and will be built by its partner Dongfeng in Wuhan. However, it also notes that those cars will be exported to the West from China.
