When Peugeot presented its “Inception” concept car in 2023, its funny rectangular steering wheel was surprising, to say the least. Surprise: this “Hypersquare” (since that’s its name) will arrive in series, from 2026 on the next electric 208 and 2008! With, as a bonus, the arrival of “steer-by-wire”, like the Tesla Cybertruck. Here’s what we know.
Peugeot has a great history of concept cars, and one of the latest was the Inception, a sort of dive into the future of the brand. This concept, presented at CES in 2023, foreshadows the brand’s future technological and stylistic choices, and notably presented a funny rectangular steering wheel: the Hypersquare.
Good news: this steering wheel will become reality from 2026 on the next generation of electric 208 & 2008. It was Linda Jackson, the CEO of Peugeot, who announced it to our British colleagues atCoach.
A new interior architecture
With this Hypersquare, Peugeot wants to move to a new generation of its dashboard architecture, called “i-Cockpit”. This term designates the following trio: a small steering wheel, counters positioned above it and a touch screen in the center.
The i-Cockpit has continued to evolve since its introduction in 2010, and the latest electric 3008 is a good example, with a large curved panel bringing together central screen and meters. The adventure will take another turn, therefore, with this Hypersquare.
“We are going to evolve the steering control. We went from a beautiful little round steering wheel to a very “technological” surface, which is based more on an idea of play”specifies Linda Jackson.
The CEO goes further and details the importance of the interior in the style of the next Peugeot: “ We think this is important because we spend a lot of time in our cars”she said. “We all love having a nice car, but is it nice inside? Is it practical? Is it ergonomic? Does it offer the right infotainment system? For me, the inside becomes more important than the outside.”
New look for new technology
This new steering wheel may raise questions about its handling, especially when we remember the setbacks of the owners of Tesla’s “Yoke”, which takes more or less this shape. Fortunately, Peugeot has thought of everything.
This Hypersquare will thus benefit from the technology “steer-by-wire”, notably used by the Tesla Cybertruck and tested at Toyota and Lexus. Thanks to this technology, which replaces the steering column with an electronic system, the maximum amplitude of the steering wheel will be drastically reduced, making it possible to make a U-turn or negotiate a roundabout while keeping both hands on the wheel.
A technology clearly already being tested throughout Europe, and tried by “ordinary” drivers – enough to ensure the compatibility of this technology with the general public. Obviously conclusive tests, and Linda Jackson goes further by ensuring that the steer-by-wire will improve “something absolutely fundamental for Peugeot: the pleasure of driving”thanks to “agility and flexibility” superior allowed by this technology.
An arrival in 2026
This interview also allows us to know its production date. We should count on 2026, the date on which the electric 208 and 2008 will be renewed, notably incorporating the great exterior airs of the Inception concept.
A fairly logical choice, since it was this duo which released the “V1” of the i-Cockpit in 2013. The city car and the compact SUV should at the same time inaugurate the “STLA Small” platform from the Stellantis group, an evolution of the eCMP currently used. The Vigo factory in Spain should be responsible for assembling these two models.