Summer is finally here and we're embracing the season of renewal with a brand new innovation – the Peugeot e-2008. Our iconic SUV is back on the scene, and newly electrified.
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was the e-2008! Reinventing a vehicle is a long and complex project. So, Marion Bouvier (Peugeot's Product Manager) and Pierre-Paul Mattei (Peugeot's Project Design Manager) will talk you through the transformation process.
How is a new vehicle design prepared?
Modernity: the keystone of the process
Pierre-Paul Mattei :
We designers are like multisensory sponges. Societal, environmental, architectural or artistic trends: everything inspires us. We're at the heart of everything that moves and our artistic work is nourished by our understanding of the world today, and what it will be in the future.
Of course, we pay attention to what our competitors are doing in terms of creation and innovation, but we cultivate our own history. Peugeot is a brand with a strong identity and a very precise vision for its future. It is also this vision that guides our work as designers and guides us in terms of formal language and signature.
In the context of vehicle design renewal, our key words are identity and modernity. Our main objective is to connect with the automotive modernity of the moment. This is really what guides our work.
Marion Bouvier :
On the product side, we first analyse customer feedback to find out what they like about the vehicle and what needs to be improved in terms of technology and infotainment. The qualitative and quantitative studies available to us also allow us to see how we compare with the competition.
Respecting the right timing
Marion Bouvier :
The renewal of a vehicle takes place about four years after it is first put on the market. After a full year of marketing we look at commercial performance. We then prepare the brief and the style scenarios. The two years before the launch allow the vehicle to be developed. Our product plans are defined well in advance so that the entire Peugeot range presented in the showrooms is always consistent.
However, depending on the various technological advances and customer feedback, we can extend the scope of the transformation beyond the initial brief. For example, for the e-2008, our plan evolved alongside Peugeot's sustainability goals; its objective of offering a 100% electric range by 2030. The challenge is to adapt the overall efficiency of the car to accommodate the technology needed for greater autonomy.
Pierre-Paul Mattei :
I would add that it is important that the range remains coherent. When a customer enters a dealership, they must not feel like there is a divide between the old and the new.
Behind the scenes of the creation of the new E-2008
Nothing is lost, nothing is created: everything is transformed
Pierre-Paul Mattei:
When renewing a style, our main design constraint is the homogeneity of the vehicle. A renewal is not a creation from a blank page : 80% of the car is renewed. We must remain consistent with the original design. This is what sets our limits, even if we try to be as creative as possible. I really like the exercise of renewing a design. I compare it to the short program in figure skating: there are compulsory moves that must be part of the program, but there is room for personal artistic expression. It's a real intellectual discipline.
Renewal step by step
Pierre-Paul Mattei :
The cycle of a vehicle lasts about 8 years and the design renewal takes place halfway through this cycle. For the implementation of the transformation, Peugeot provides a brief that expresses the expectations and possible corrections to be made. The style competition is then launched: several designs are proposed and when the choice is made, the final touches are made, taking into account the various constraints. The industrial tool is then adapted for the manufacture of the new vehicle. This whole process takes about two years. So you start thinking about refreshing a brand new model in its second year of life.
Marion Bouvier :
We therefore have two years to observe how the car performs on the market, depending on the country and prepare the new style brief. This is the time we need to determine the changes to be made.
Setting objectives
Marion Bouvier:
Three main objectives have been set for the new version of the e-2008:
Updating the design to make the SUV more attractive and more connected to the range. Design is vital for our customers.
Boost the car's technology and connectivity.
By 2030, the Peugeot vehicle range will be 100% electric, so
Marion Bouvier:
Three main objectives have been set for the new version of the e-2008:
Updating the design to make the SUV more attractive and more connected to the range. Design is vital for our customers.
Boost the car's technology and connectivity.
By 2030, the Peugeot vehicle range will be 100% electric, so
Staying true to Peugeot's values
Allure, Excellence, Emotion: a new focus
The new logo makes the renewed Peugeot range even more eye-catching. The illuminated signage elevates its style, and it remains recognisable thanks to the three large claws and the body-coloured grille.
The new logo makes the renewed Peugeot range even more eye-catching. The illuminated signage elevates its style, and it remains recognisable thanks to the three large claws and the body-coloured grille.
The number one emotion we want to capture is the exhilaration and comfort of driving a Peugeot. The i-Cockpit(R) has therefore been modernised: more stylish, more technological with 10-inch high-definition screens. The 3D instrument cluster has been redesigned in terms of graphics, is 100% customisable and more connected.
The number one emotion we want to capture is the exhilaration and comfort of driving a Peugeot. The i-Cockpit(R) has therefore been modernised: more stylish, more technological with 10-inch high-definition screens. The 3D instrument cluster has been redesigned in terms of graphics, is 100% customisable and more connected.
Excellence is achieved through the new, more powerful 100% electric engine. Its new batteries have increased its power by 15% from 136 HP to 156 HP, and the range has no increased to 248 miles.
.jpg?imwidth=1920)
