There is still some sense of irony surrounding the Peugeot e-Legend . The French brand announces an electric and autonomous future, but what we see on the outside clearly comes from the distant past.
The reference to the elegant Peugeot 504 Coupé, masterfully designed by Pininfarina, and which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its launch, couldn't be more evident. The Peugeot e-Legend is an exercise in retro-futuristic style, evoking the 504 Coupé in proportions and graphics, but without falling into pure pastiche.
The final look, however, seems to trade the elegance of the original coupe for a more sophisticated look and more muscle — from some angles I'd almost pass as a very American muscle car.
The reference to the Peugeot 504 Coupé is clear
The evocative bodywork hides, however, the “car of the future”, in other words, a 100% electric car and also autonomous. On the electric side, the e-Legend comes equipped with a battery pack with a capacity of 100 kWh, two electric motors — one per axle — totaling 340 kW (462 hp) and 800 Nm of torque, capable of launching it up to to 100 km/h in less 4.0s and reach a maximum speed of 220 km/h.
The maximum autonomy announced is 600 km (WLTP), with Peugeot claiming that 25 minutes at a fast charging station are enough to have enough energy for another 500 km, and charging can be done via induction (no cables).
Peugeot 504 Coupe
The Peugeot 504 was introduced in 1968, with the Coupé and Cabrio arriving a year later, remaining in production until 1983. Both are different from the other 504, based on a slightly shorter base, and above all due to the elegant lines authored by Pininfarina. Powering this coupé we find in-line four-cylinder engines with 1.8 and 2.0 shared with the remaining 504, but would also receive the 2.7 l V6 PRV, developed in conjunction with Renault and Volvo. In total, between the Coupé and Cabriolet, just over 31,000 units were produced
Autonomous, but we can also drive it
Although it can be autonomous (level 4), the Peugeot e-Legend has a steering wheel and pedals, meaning we can drive it — which makes it immediately more interesting, from our point of view.
There are thus four driving modes: two autonomous and two manual. On the autonomous side, we have the mode Soft and sharp , where in the first one the comfort of the occupants is privileged, reducing the visualization of information to a minimum; while in the second, maximum connection to digital activities, such as social networks, is privileged.
On the manual side, we came across the modes Legend and Boost . The first is a mode for cruising or strolling, and even something nostalgic — the instrument panel comes with three dials similar to those on the 504 Coupé. In Boost mode, the name is self-explanatory and all the performance and dynamic potential of e-Legend is at our disposal.
adaptable interior
The interior adapts to each of the driving modes. Thanks to by wire technology (wired, without mechanical connections), when in an autonomous mode, the steering wheel collapses under the Focal soundbar (which dominates the dashboard), making a huge 49″ screen fully visible; there are side armrests (with storage spaces) and the front seats tilt.
Speaking of screens, as if the 49″ wasn't enough, the Peugeot e-Legend has a total of 16 screens inside(!). The doors feature 29″ screens (which “extend” the 49″ front) and not even the sun visors escaped, integrating a 12″ screen. Most of the controls are replaced by a 6″ touchscreen and a physical rotary command.
As a note, the return of velvet to the interiors, as happened with the Peugeot 504 Coupé, but here mixed with a modern technical fabric, and visible in the expressive seats.
But why this “journey to the past”?
Peugeot e-Legend is intriguing due to the fusion between yesterday and tomorrow. According to Peugeot, despite being electric and autonomous, the car of the future doesn't have to be boring and forget more than a century of automotive history.
Unlike the fully autonomous “boxes with wheels” (although they have a futuristic look), which we have seen by some builders, the French brand has gone back in time to get the necessary emotional charge that helps keep the flame of enthusiasts burning. Is this the way forward, revisiting the past?
Peugeot is not the only one to bet on this retro road, anticipating the future — Honda made very good impressions with the Urban EV and Sports EV, and Volkswagen is getting ready to recover the “Pão de Forma”, also 100% electric, anticipated by ID Buzz.
The Peugeot e-Legend will hardly go into production, but it anticipates what we can expect from the French brand in the future, whether on a technological level or even, possibly, on a visual level, by evoking traces or details of the most striking models of its long period. story.