What's the news?
Another car show, another striking Peugeot concept vehicle with a two-tone front/rear paint job - this one is the Fractal, and it is all about the noise. Or lack of it, in some areas. It's due for a Frankfurt debut.
Exterior
Sharply styled, the Fractal is compact - just 3.81 metres long and 1.77 metres wide - allowing it to weave through urban traffic. That's because it's an electric vehicle, but we'll come on to that later. It has 19-inch, 'Tall&Narrow' wheels, which have 'dihedral components to attenuate aerodynamic noise- - they are based on the same anechoic design as those freaky chambers that absorb all sound. This makes the car even quieter than other EVs, although Peugeot says the Fractal has a unique sound signature to ensure other road users know it is there - so unwitting pedestrians wouldn't be flattened by it (they never will anyway, as it'll never make production... but we digress).
You'll have noticed from the pictures that it's a convertible, although that's a wholly removable roof that needs to be left behind, rather than a folding one that remains with the car. At the rear is an LED strip above the vent to show the battery's current charge, while a smartwatch can be used to open the doors remotely, to the accompaniment of a musical signature designed by Brazilian sound designer Amon Tobin; and that watch can customise interior features like the air conditioning and stereo.
Interior
Always the most outlandish part of any concept car, this is where the Fractal really earns its spurs. A lot - in fact, 80 per cent - of the cabin is made from 3D-printed materials, with the choice of finishes is apparently inspired by auditoriums and recording studios. Black oak is used on the console, door cards and bucket seats, while copper trim (to mimic audio connections) runs through the whole cabin. Anechoic motifs are continued within to 'enhance acoustic comfort'.
The Fractal also incorporates a futuristic evolution of the i-Cockpit, seen on Peugeot road cars since 2012. The small steering wheel features thumb-controlled sensors, while there's a holographic head-up display supplemented by a 45-degree polycarbonate strip providing additional info. A 12.3-inch digital display dominates in front of the driver, plus there's a 7.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen in the centre console - passengers in the rear also have a panel to adjust their own settings in the car.
And the Fractal also has a 9.1.2 surround sound system for those occasions when you don't want to travel in silence. Designed by the PSA StelLab, this digital sound set-up can simulate the human ear by projecting noises to exactly the right point - although the satnav system's voice appears to come from somewhere in front of the car, in a spooky manner.
Mechanicals
It's powered by a pair of equal-output electric motors, one on each axle, delivering 204hp in total. The 30kW/h lithium-ion batteries of the Fractal are housed in the central tunnel and the car doesn't need a lot of cooling as a result, hence the small front air intakes. That gives the Peugeot a range of 450km. It also features variable ground clearance, the car sitting 70mm above the deck on motorways for better aerodynamics and therefore a longer range, rising to 110mm in urban areas so the Fractal can clear speed humps and car park entrances with ease.
There are different sets of gearing for the two motors, with the rear axle shorter for better acceleration, while the longer front axle gradually takes over at speeds above 100km/h. Weighing just 1,000kg, the Fractal is pretty quick - 0-100km/h takes 6.8 seconds and it can do a standing kilometre in 28.8 seconds.
Anything else?
Jérôme Micheron, Peugeot's strategy director, said: "The i-Cockpit has garnered a real following among customers by offering a tangible improvement in driving pleasure. The Peugeot Fractal project explores new possibilities by further enhancing the cockpit experience through the use of sound to enrich information and enhance driving pleasure."