Some Peugeots like the 208 GTI are sporty but reserved. Others, like the RCZ R, are a handful. Then there’s the Quartz Concept, a terrifying mix of SUV and hybrid that hides 500 ponies under a lengthy bonnet.
The Peugeot Quartz unveiled at the Paris Motor Show is meant to give you the cabin of a saloon and the body of an SUV, in similar fashion to crossovers like the BMW X4. It’s 4.5m long, 2.06m wide and is based on the EMP2 platform that underpins the Citroen C4 Picasso and new 308.
Various details like a chequered pattern on Peugeot’s lion badge that changes depending on the angle you look at it, head-up display, two-tone paintjob and a panoramic glass roof help the Quartz look the part.
Meanwhile a 1.6-litre THP 270 taken from the very capable RCZ R mated to a six-speed automatic and two 85kWh electric motors work together to create a ridiculous 500hp and untold levels of torque so it can act the part. An all-electric range of 31 miles lets you do the odd journey without using any fuel.
Pneumatic suspension can adjust ground clearance between 300 and 350mm so the Quartz is no lame duck when it comes to off-roading. It helps that a clever optical system linked to cameras and the sat nav can read the road ahead and adjust accordingly, much like the new Mercedes S-Class.
“PEUGEOT’s style strength lies in its prowess at tackling a saloon or hatchback just as effectively as a Crossover to create the kind of stylish car that people would really love to own,” Peugeot design director Gilles Vidal commented.
There’s no word on whether the Peugeot Quartz concept will reach production, but judging by the push into hybrids and popularity of crossovers we may hear something more concrete in the future. Fingers crossed, because it sounds like mucho fun to us.
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