LONDON: Peugeot has revealed its hyper-hot hatch 308 R HYbrid concept. Peugeot has put Mercedes-AMG and Audi’s RS division on notice with a power-packed hot hatch concept that can match supercars.
The French car maker has revealed its 308 R HYbrid ahead of its public debut at next week’s Shanghai motor show, with the two-tone machine pakcing a petrol-electric powertrain capable of generating supercar-like power outputs up to 372kW and 730Nm with the ability to slingshot from 0-100km/h in just 4.0 seconds.
To achieve those outputs, the 308 R Hybrid has a 1.6-litre turbocharged four cylinder that produces 200kW hooked up to an electric motor across the front axle with an additional one driving the rear wheels.
The full power is only available in Hot Lap mode one of four distinct settings for the power train set-up – where it harnesses the maximum potential from all three engines. In Track mode, the front electric motor is only used during heavy acceleration out of the corners with reduced levels of power to 300kW and torque drops to 530Nm but provides a balanced all-wheel drive set-up. In its Road setting, power drops to 225kW and 400Nm and the front motor is not used at all while the final ZEV mode only accesses the rear electric motor for zero emissions motoring.
Like the Peugeot RCZ-R, the car has been co-developed with the company’s racing division using experience gained from its Le Mans sportscar program to extract the maximum from its hybrid set-up.
It has yet to officially confirm the 308 R for showroom duty, but Peugeot Sport’s director Bruno Farmin gave an indication it showcases a future production-ready application.
“With our experience in hybrid vehicles developed with the Peugeot 908, the high-performance hybrid powertrain fitted to the 308 gives a glimpse of the potential for ultra-sports models in the future,” he said.
To complement the unique powertrain, the 308 R Hybrid rides on 19-inch alloy wheels, have 380mm front disc brakes and an aggressively designed body kit as well as myriad upgrades to the cabin to befit its sporting pretensions.
