First drive: Peugeot Instinct concept review

It’s not geared up for full autonomy and the outlawing of driving, though; the steering wheel, more of a spaceship-like arc shape, comes out of its place in the dashboard when one of the drive modes that actually involve driving is selected.

As a passenger car, despite the huge, rear-hinge doors at the back and conventionally opening front doors, it’s fairly tight inside. This is alleviated by lots of glass, light and crisp-feeling materials and lots of screens, as well as a relatively low dashboard. However, there’s no denying that head room is fairly tight; unusual for a car Peugeot compares to an extension of the owner’s home when in autonomous mode.

Still, this makes for an incredibly sporty feel, with a nod to the RCZ in the two glass strips along the roof, which helpfully add a little head room. Although this seems at odds with the car’s aim, Peugeot let loose with the Instinct. And with no production plan, it’s as out there as possible.

Peugeot’s head of concepts and advanced design, Matthias Hossann, said that although the car won’t go into production, he hopes that some of its elements will in the future. These include alternatives to leather, such as the trainer-inspired fabric used for the seats and the ultra-reflective green chrome trim used for some interior components. More outlandish features, such as the thin layer of concrete incorporated into the car’s floor, are less likely to feature on the 108 in a few years’ time.

Even less likely to see the light of day is the rakish exterior. While the car was designed from the inside out, with autonomy in mind, that didn’t stop Peugeot from creating an exterior that lives up to its pedigree of tragically unattainable but visually delicious concepts.

More likely to reach production is the ‘i Device’, a centrally mounted controller module for Peugeot’s iCockpit system with drive mode selectors and finished in perforated leather. This sits in the ‘Hands’ portion - the mid-section of the car level with the space between waist and shoulder.