Tackling the trends: Peugeot combines digital cockpits with an SUV offensive

PSA Groupe is in a good place at the moment, and the continued boom in demand for crossovers and SUVs across Europe bodes well for its portfolio, which has expanded to accommodate this trend in recent years. Re-launching two models that had previously been designed and sold as MPVs has proven to be a successful move; the new-look 3008 crossover appeared in 2016, with the larger 5008 coming later in 2017 as a full-size SUV. Both models have been well received across Europe so far, and helped to close out a strong fourth quarter of 2017 for PSA Groupe. “In Europe, volumes [were] up 3.7%, driven by the success of our recent launches of the Peugeot 3008 and 5008,” noted Jean-Baptiste de Chatillon, Executive Vice President, Finance at PSA Groupe, during a March 2018 earnings call. Other models such as the Citroen C3 and C3 Aircross as well as light commercial vehicles added further bulk to volumes. “Every single car that we have launched since the beginning of the Push to Pass plan has been a sales success,” added Chief Executive Carlos Tavares, referencing the 3008 and 5008 as particular success stories. “If you look at the segment shares of Peugeot 3008 and 5008, the share and performance of those models against the competition, is very, very high,” he noted in the call. But with the European market already heavily saturated with SUVs from various brands, how has Peugeot succeeded in differentiating the 3008 and 5008 from the competition? Much interest has been placed on the hard-edged and sporty exterior design of both vehicles, but one of the main differences is found on the inside. Digital dash While still very much a mass-market brand, Peugeot is taking steps to provide more premium features inside its cars. With the 3008 and 5008, both models leverage the OEM’s i-Cockpit, which includes a fully digital display behind the steering wheel to provide typical driving information, but also elements such as navigation and speed limits. A separate digital screen on the dashboard provides further interactivity with the vehicle’s settings, and utilises a touchscreen for functions such as climate control. The idea was to create a more ergonomic, attractive and ultimately enjoyable experience, and Eric Dejou, a Design Manager involved in the interior design of the 5008, believes that this has been a contributing factor to the success of both vehicles. “It's inside the cockpit that the car experience lives. The interest from consumers is becoming more about comfort and quality, and therefore technology is very important,” he told Automotive World. “This is already true for more and more consumers, and is why we are committed to the i-Cockpit, which represents our high-end ambitions in terms of quality of materials and embedded technology.” The i-Cockpit was designed to position information close to the driver’s line of sight, which is “as close to the road as possible”, noted Dejou. This not only enhances driver comfort, but also improves driving safety. Compared to a traditional analogue cockpit, drivers can view information from the i-Cockpit half a second quicker, noted Dejou, “and when you're on a fast road, this offers a real guarantee of security.” Customising the experience Software is becoming increasingly important, not only for active safety systems that can help to control a car in certain situations, but also for the way drivers interact with the car physically. “You can see a trend today towards the use of more displays, speech functionality, head-up displays (HUDs) and things like that,” observed Artur Seidel, Vice President of Automotive Software, Americas at Elektrobit. Peugeot is not the first to pursue a digital cockpit; in 2014, the new Audi TT was the first model to feature the German OEM’s Virtual Cockpit, which lifted the entire infotainment system from the centre stack and into the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, with all elements channelled through one display. Virtual Cockpit has since expanded to various new Audi models in combination with a multi-media interface (MMI) screen on the centre stack. Other players such as Tesla have taken a similar approach, and on the Model 3 it goes as far as containing all information and controls in a single screen, including basic elements such as windscreen wiper speed and audio functions. Through the i-Cockpit’s interface behind the steering wheel, drivers can swap between different modes – ‘driving’, ‘navigation’ and ‘minimum’ for example – to prioritise different forms of information on the screen. By offering a selection of instrument displays instead of a single, non-customisable layout, Peugeot designers have catered to a range of customer preferences. “We are all different from each other, and the design of the i-Cockpit takes these differences into account,” said Dejou. “One driver may be departing to an unknown destination whilst on holiday, another may be driving to work and in a traffic jam. Another driver may be on a country road at night. We do not all drive the same way, or on the same side of the road, and one of the advantages of a digital cockpit is that you can display detailed mapping or driving aids while remaining very legible and enjoyable,” he explained. Conversely, some drivers may choose to “simplify to the maximum” and design a custom screen which retains only essential information. “The organisation of the i-Cockpit was designed to improve ergonomics on board and thus comfort, safety and pleasure. The transition to digital is an extension of this approach, as we can both offer more complex information whilst ensuring it is far more readable,” said Dejou. “This is also more enjoyable, with more freedom in terms of graphics, colours and animations.” As for how the i-Cockpit will evolve for upcoming iterations, Dejou kept his cards close to his chest, but suggested that due to Peugeot’s “culture of innovation in its DNA, the i-Cockpits of tomorrow will still surprise you. Ergonomics is always at the centre of our efforts, dressed in elegance and modernity.” It is worth noting that, while not referring to i-Cockpit directly, Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said during the March 2018 earnings call that over-the-air software updates will gradually be introduced to cars in the PSA Groupe portfolio up until 2021. This may allow the OEM to expand the functionality and design of its digital cockpit in coming years.

Tackling the trends: Peugeot combines digital cockpits with an SUV offensive

PSA Groupe is capitalising on demand for SUVs and digital technologies inside the car, writes Freddie Holmes

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