Peugeot Polygon: concept for the next 208 supermini literally reimagines the wheel

This is the new Peugeot Polygon concept. It is, probably, a preview of the next-generation Peugeot 208, though of course we’re extremely unlikely to see a version of that supermini with wild gullwing doors.

We will however, likely see a version of a Peugeot with what the company’s calling its ‘Hypersquare’ wheel and steer-by-wire technology.

We’ll come to the square steering wheel and the tech in a bit, but first, the jazz: Polygon apparently “defines Peugeot’s next chapter” and previews the overall design language you’ll see on a raft of future Peugeot road cars. “A more feline stance than ever,” it said.

The familiar ‘claw’ light signature front and back – admittedly a very cool design flourish – is here refashioned into three horizontal stripes slashed across the nose and derrière, powered by micro-LEDs. These LEDs can be configured into various graphics and colours because of course they can.

Overall the shape and design is meant to show the French carmaker’s “enthusiasm for the future of motoring”. Stick gullwing doors and twin roof spoilers on the next 208 GTI, and we'll be very enthusiastic, Peugeot.

Your enthusiasm for the future of its cabin will be trickier to harness, though, because said cabin will arrive with a new ‘Hypersquare’ steering wheel. According to Peugeot, it is “more than a new shape” - it is apparently an entirely new approach to its long established and polarising ‘i-Cockpit’.

So the actual wheel itself features four circular pods in each corner for functionality and is connected to the wheels via… electricity. No longer a mechanical link betwixt your fingertips and the rubber up front, Peugeot is going all in on steer-by-wire, promising it in a production car by 2027.

We saw such tech on the Infiniti Q50 over 10 years ago, but nobody remembers the Infiniti Q50 and anyway that car also came with a backup steering column, so… it’s not really the same.

Here, it’ll change the steering ratio according to speed, so low speeds mean you get a wider turning circle, and high speeds - for example, in a gullwing doored, twin roof spoilered 208 GTI – require only minimal input. It also filters out vibrations and poor road conditions, meaning it’s got its work cut out in Britain.

Back to the concept flourishes, and the windscreen in the Polygon is a giant customisable infotainment screen because sure, why not, the inside’s made up of recyclable materials and funky seats, and the whole thing’s made of fewer parts than a regular car.

“Peugeot Polygon concept is a true dynamic proving ground, testing and showcasing numerous innovations that Peugeot will introduce from 2027 onwards,” it said. Innovations like massive gullwing doors and twin roof spoilers on a supermini, we hope…