Peugeot could be producing the 308 R HYbrid Concept

The C-segment and what has come to be called the ‘Hyperhatchback’ or compact performance cars are locked in a fierce battle to be the most powerful, the king of kings. In this battle are the new Mercedes A45 AMG 2016 and the Audi RS3 Sportback, while we await the Volkswagen Golf R400, which is why the star brand’s candidate is today the most powerful of these compact performance cars, thanks to its 381 CV.

But at the past Shanghai Motor Show, Peugeot unveiled a prototype that nobody would have imagined reaching production, and the French brand itself confirmed these suspicions. The radical prototype was the Peugeot 308 R HYbrid Concept, a monster based on the bodywork of the standard 308, but fitted with a hybrid system that gave it a total of 500 CV.

This colossal power output was provided by the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine that Peugeot uses in the RCZ R and the 308 GTi, which produces 270 CV, combined with two electric motors, one for each axle of the 308 R HYbrid Concept, each with an output of 115 CV. The sum comes to the disproportionate figure of 500 CV, in a compact car weighing around 1,500 kg.

When we talk about rumours, we are not referring to speculation generated by a group of enthusiasts, but to the evidence published by the chief executive of Peugeot, Maxime Picat on his Twitter account, who attached two photographs of what appears to be a test mule of the Peugeot 308 R HYbrid Concept. Its appearance is similar to that of the C-segment compact from the lion brand, but the wheel design matches, the height is extremely low, and it has a front track around 80 mm wider, a detail visible in one of Maxime Picat’s photos.

With this move, Peugeot may perhaps want to be regarded as a high-performance car manufacturer, something that would fit with the brand’s recent moves, as it bets on giving greater prominence to the Peugeot Sport division. If this rumour proves true, the car could be on sale within two years and would undoubtedly revolutionise the competitive C-segment.

Via | CarScoops

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackPeugeot 30824 versions · from 31,770 €