Paris Preshow: Peugeot HR1 Small Crossover Concept

Peugeot has lifted the covers off a second concept model on the eve of the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Billed as an urban crossover, the HR1 study is said to blend together a number of elements from various categories including city cars, coupes and SUVs, and is designed to appeal to young people with active lifestyles.

The HR1 is particularly compact in dimensions measuring just 3,670 mm in length, or close to 300 mm shorter than the Ford Fiesta hatch. The exterior design incorporates all the genes of Peugeot's new styling language including the "floating" front grille and "chiseled" headlamps which were first seen on the SR1 Concept car.

It also gets raised sections above the rear windscreen, reminiscent of the "double bubble" roof design of the RCZ Coupé and a pair of electric "scissor" doors.

The HR1's interior features a far more futuristic design with the driver and passenger compartments separated by an elevated centre console.

There are also two individual seats at the back that can be folded down flat and stowed behind the front seats to create a flat floor area with a total load space of 734 liters. When both rear seats are raised, the boot capacity is reduced to 180 litres.

Peugeot has developed a unique set of controls for the audio, satellite navigation and air conditioning systems, located behind the steering wheel.

For motivation, the HR1 incorporates Peugeot's HYbrid4 technology, combining a new 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with 110-bhp at the front and a 37-bhp electric motor at the rear. The internal combustion engine is hooked up to an electronically-controlled 6-speed manual gearbox with control paddles on the steering wheel and a centrally mounted gear lever.

As with the production 3008 Hybrid4 that will also debut in Paris, the HR1 can be driven by the electric motor alone at low speed, or with both engines together, providing four-wheel drive capability.

According to the French automaker, the HR1 returns a combined fuel consumption of 3.5 lt per 100km (equal to 81 mpg UK and 67.2 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 80 g/km.

Stay tuned on Carscoop for live photos of the HR1 from the Paris Motor Show floor.

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The French Tumbler: Peugeot's EX1 340HP EV Concept Revealed Ahead of Paris Show

As a celebration of the marque's 200th anniversary, Peugeot has created a new concept car called the EX1 that will have its world premiere at the Mondial de l'automobile 2010 in Paris later this month.

Our first though upon seeing the all-electric prototype was that of a futuristic and nifty-looking successor to Batman's Tumbler from the Christopher Nolan films. Peugeot's thoughts are that of an "extreme dream car" which demonstrates the "exciting possibilities for electric power".

The design of the water droplet-shaped body incorporates Peugeot's new design language, as first seen on the SR1 concept car earlier this year and the new production 508 that will also debut in Paris, including the "floating" front grille and flowing contours.

The driver and passenger climb into the cabin through reverse-opening doors that oddly enough, house the bucket seats.

The EX1, which measures 0.90m in height and 1.77m in width, makes use of a monocoque body structure manufactured from a carbon/honeycomb composite to optimize weight and rigidity.

The car's suspension employs a drop link double wishbone arrangement up front and a single "swinging arm" linked to a centrally mounted shock absorber which is connected via a rocker arm at the rear.

The Peugeot EX1's motivation comes from a pair of electric motors, one on each axle, thus offering four-wheel drive. Each electric motor produces a peak output of 125kW, for a combined 250kW or 340HP and 240Nm (177 lbs-ft) of constant torque. Energy is provided by a high-output lithium-ion battery.

Peugeot did not announce performance figures, but the company did say that the EX1 is "capable of lightning acceleration" that can "exceed 1 G of gravitational force."

We'll bring you more news and photos of Peugeot's EX1 sports concept from the Paris Motor Show on September 30.

Peugeot EX1 Sports Concept Gallery