Peugeot HR1 Concept Car Review 2012

Peugeot has always explored new motoring territories, proposed new offers in response to the aspirations of customers in search of innovation and emotion, but also pragmatic and efficient solutions. Through a mix of ideas, this inventiveness has given rise to many production vehicles and concept-cars which include a number of genuine commercial and design successes (Coupé/Cabriolet, the 3008… and more recently the BB1 concept car).  The 2012 Peugeot HR1 Concept Peugeot HR1 Concept is also based on the crossover of several body shapes: city runaround, coupé, SUV… deriving as a result its own identity and new and original advantages. The Peugeot HR1 Concept is positioned as the ideal vehicle for young city dwellers, individuals and couples, who interact with their world yet are protective of their privacy but, at the same time alert to new living experiences in relation to their leisure activities and their mobility.

With the HR1, Peugeot once again reshuffles the pack in terms of the individual car segments. The Peugeot HR1 Concept is an exclusive and innovative urban concept car that blends together a number of genres (city runaround, coupé, SUV …). It is targeted at active young city dwellers smitten with design and innovation that are in search of a vehicle that matches their profile. HR1 breaks new ground with new trends in hyperconnectivity, modularity and responsiveness, and offers an entirely new driving experience:

- The original door system facilitates access to a novel passenger compartment which can be totally transformed to offer either two seats and a large load area or four seating positions;

- T he interior with its movement recognition interface is simple and intuitive and very innovative;
 

- A gile, reactive and responsible, the Peugeot HR1 Concept features HYbrid4 technology, with a new three cylinder 1.2 litre THP petrol engine at the front and a rear electric motor for: reduced CO2 emissions (80 g/km or Zero in electric mode), a maximum power (147 bhp) and four wheel drive.

The 2012 Peugeot HR1 Concept is designed to facilitate urban travel. With this vehicle, driving is always a pleasure, even in the busiest or most confined of spaces. It benefits firstly from particularly compact dimensions (length of 3.69 m, very short front and rear overhangs), but also an original system for getting into and out of the vehicle. Based on the Marque’s experience in this field, the HR1 has two electric gull-wing doors to facilitate access under all circumstances (restricted parking, small garage, etc). Finally, its raised ground clearance provides a dominate driving position with key benefits in terms of visibility and manoeuvrability.


The Peugeot HR1 Concept  carries the genes of the Peugeot Marque, whose changing stylistic design codes were first revealed on the SR1 concept-car. The Peugeot HR1 Concept has the same expressive headlamps with a finely chiselled design, as well as a single “floating” front grille seemingly detached from the rest of the body. Here, style is completely at one with the vehicle’s concept: athletic, powerful and dynamic. It is also sensual, with flowing flanks showcasing large wheels and a double bubble on the rear windscreen reminiscent of the curves of the RCZ Coupé. The finesse of the superstructure, the two-tone interplay of polished and chrome materials, every component expresses build quality, a sign of the meticulous attention paid to every detail.

This is true also of the headlamps and “full LED” rear lights, finished in the style of hi-tech jewels that give the car a unique signature by day and by night. At the rear, roof bars serve ingeniously as a hinge for opening the one-piece, smoked-glass tailgate.In the final analysis the design of the Peugeot HR1 Concept  suggests agility, control and seduction, offering the promise of safety and environmental efficiency to its users.

In keeping with the trends illustrated on the Marque’s latest vehicles, the interior has a structured design, with a “high tech coupé” driving position offering enhanced sensations through a combination of style, quality of finish, equipment and ergonomics. The driver and passenger each have a privileged space, separated by a console which adds to the futuristic design and the bright interior ambience (helped by the use of electroluminescent diodes). Light is alsotransmitted through the two glazed sections of the roof, dedicated to the right and left occupant respectively and specially finished in electro-chrome to diffuse more light on request. The car’s instrumentation suggests total command of the vehicle by the driver, with ergonomically placed controls, a small steering wheel, and a “Head Up Display” allowing information to be seen without the driver taking their eyes off the road. The passenger compartment of the HR1 has a very “authentic” feel, dynamic, technological and protective, able to shield its occupants from the stress of the outside world.


The HR1 is equipped with particularly innovative controls which operate what is known as the “manmachine interface”. The concept-car thus has a “movement recognition” system. Simple and intuitive, this allows the driver to scroll through functions and select available settings with a simple movement of the hand. For example by rotating the hand the user can scroll menus, displayed in the manner of a carousel. The driver can also choose to switch control of the menus to the front passenger, with a sweep of the hand from left to right. The technology controlled by this method includes the audio, satellite navigation and air conditioning systems.

The driver can also select, at his discretion, the preferred type of information to be displayed in the instrument panel: rev counter, water and oil temperature during “dynamic driving”, or tourist information when “cruising”. The front passenger meanwhile benefits from a mobile PC tablet which allows data to be shared and exchanged with the driver’s display.

The ingenuity of the Peugeot HR1 Concept Car resides also in its modularity. The Peugeot HR1 Concept is designed basically for young city dwellers without children in search of a fun vehicle that is fashionable and roomy enough to carry leisure equipment (bicycle, diving equipment, etc) or be loaded up with shopping, etc. Its boot, practical and accommodating thanks to its flat floor and sides, offers a load space of 734 litres. The passenger compartment of the concept-car can also very quickly be configured to accommodate three or four full size seats, according to the particular requirements, thanks to a clever “stowaway seats” system. The rear seat frames fit snugly behind the front seats, making it possible to modulate the interior configuration in the twinkling of an eye. As on the RCZ, the special shape of the rear windscreen with its double bubble allows the rear capacity to be optimised. When both rear seats are present, the boot capacity is naturally smaller, but remains a substantial 180 litres nonetheless.

Peugeot HR1 Concept Car Pictures

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