NEW E-2008: THE STORY OF A RENAISSANCE

I usually say that we designers are like multisensory sponges. Societal, environmental, architectural or artistic trends: everything inspires us. We are at the heart of everything that moves and our artistic work is nourished by our understanding of the world today and in the future. 

Of course, we are attentive to what our competitors are doing in terms of creation and audacity, but we cultivate our own history. PEUGEOT is a brand with a strong identity and a very precise, constantly updated trajectory. It is also this trajectory 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. 

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. 

The renewal of a vehicle takes place about 4 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 2 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 initially planned. For example, for E-2008, our plan evolved with the Brand's 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. 

I would add that it is important that the range remains coherent. When a customer enters a dealership, he must not have the impression that he is faced with old cars on one side and modern cars on the other. 

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, the Brand provides a brief which 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 2 years. So you start thinking about refreshing a brand new model in its second year of life. 

We therefore have 2 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.