New car news

12 January 2010 - 12:00

Yes, it’s a Peugeot

Clearly feeling a bit left out of all this coverage from Detroit, Peugeot has released early details of its Geneva show star, the SR1.

Pretty, isn't it? Mainly because it doesn't really look like a Peugeot, which means it isn't trying to be deliberately controversial or sport a large, gormless plastic grin.

Instead we've got a sharp looking petrol-hybrid (Peugeot calls it HYbrid4 technology), mating an electric motor in the back and turbo'd 1.6-litre up front to give a combined 233kW (70kW from the electric kit and 163 from the petrol).

It'll run in electric-only mode so you can frighten the crap out of unsuspecting pedestrians, and Peugeot reckons it'll deliver 24.5 litres/km on the combined cycle and 119g/km of CO2.

Inside, there's a three-seat layout with a single passenger seat placed behind the front pair, while a futuristic crystal-tube display wrestles with old school touches like wood and leather detailing.

The hybrid all-wheel-drive system will debut next year on the 3008 crossover model, but it looks unlikely the SR1 will make production - a 'new styling direction' is all, we're afraid.

And, talking of new direction, you might also have noticed Peugeot's redesigned 'lion' badge on the bonnet. No? Neither did we.