It was in Imola, during the presentation of the Peugeot Hypercar 9X8 for the World Endurance Championship (WEC) where Linda JacksonCEO of Peugeot, dropped it: The high-performance PSE (Peugeot Sport Engineered) range, available in the 508 and 508 SW, will not go further.
Does that mean the end of Peugeot Sport Engineered? Absolutely. These sporty versions could continue to be seen in 100% electric cars: «To be honest, we thought about (expanding the range) but then had to prioritize and it's all about electrification,” he said. “We are investing, like Stellantis, 40 billion euros in electrification and Peugeot is part of that. “We will have a full range of electric cars by the end of this year, where each model will have an electric version and priorities must be established.”
Yes, Jackson. did not rule out a high performance car built on one of the modular EV platforms used across the Stellantis group, even if nothing is in the pipeline at the moment. “Who knows?” she said. “There is nothing certain. I'm not going to say we're going to release something tomorrow, so don't get your hopes up.”
And Peugeot continues betting on the competition. Right now, very focused on the WEC program and it seems that it will continue there… although Jackson seemed to have an open mind to the suggestion of an all-electric vehicle that could compete at Pikes Peak.
Not only that. The big surprise for those present at Imola was that it did not outright reject creating a road model with a direct link to the 9X8 and its complex hybrid propulsion system with four-wheel drive. “It's not safe, but we could do it,” Jackson said. “Do we need that or do we need to develop the technology in a broader range of cars? That is up for debate at the moment, no decision has been made. At the end of the day, it's about raising awareness, as well as engineering and durability, something that can be done without having to own a road car. It is an interesting debate. “I’m not saying we won’t have one.”
Jackson had already said on another occasion that Peugeot was open to building a 9X8 for the road, but only if a party appeared willing to finance the project. Of course, when asked if any such request had been made, she was somewhat cryptic: “Not that I know of.”
Via: Coach
