Quartz reveals Peugeot’s future

Peugeot’s Paris motor show star is this new SUV concept called Quartz.
The French firm says the car is a vision for a future high performance SUV.
According to Peugeot, the Quartz mixes “the body of an SUV with the cabin of a saloon”. It incorporates  scissor doors, a pillarless  cabin design and a retractable step for easy access.


The 4500mm-long, 2060mm-wide concept also gives clues to the look of future Peugeot SUVs. Peugeot boss Maxime Picat revealed earlier this year that future SUVs would look less like crossovers and more like traditional SUVs in their exterior design due to the demands of Chinese customers, and the Quartz is the first step towards this.

Power for the plug-in hybrid comes from a turbocharged 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine which develops 266bhp and 243lb ft and two electric motors, one on each axle. Each electric motor develops 114bhp, taking total output to 494bhp.

Three driving modes are available, with electric only ZEV mode offering emissions free driving for up to 31 miles.

Road mode uses both the engine and the front electric motor for power, with the second electric motor only starting up when Race mode is engaged. Power is sent to all four wheels and a limited slip differential also features.

A pneumatic suspension system can automatically adjust the Quartz’s ride height between 300 and 350mm. The system features technology that scans the road through a combination of cameras and navigation data.

The concept is based on PSA’s EMP2 platform, which was introduced on the Peugeot 308 and is set to be used on a wide range of models.

Inside, the Quartz features a new take on Peugeot’s i Cockpit design, which can be found on its latest breed of production cars. Four bucket seats are fitted with racing harnesses, while the cabin is trimmed with a mixture of leather and “digitally woven textile” that uses fibre derived from recycled plastic bottles.