Peugeot’s 308 R Hybrid concept was earlier shown in the Shanghai Motor Show and is expected to hit the production line according to sources at the firm. The news came after two images were twitted by CEO Maxime Picat of PSA boss Carlos Tavarez trying to test a prototype of the 493 bhp mega hatch back. In a previous interview with Auto Express at the unveiling of the R HYbrid at the Shanghai Motor Show, Picat said: “We are quite well developed with the car and we’re now in the process of commercialising it.” . The powertrain is a combination of the 267bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo you’ll find in the RCZ R, with two 114bhp electric motors bolted to each axle. Peugeot claims the result is 0-62mph in 4.0 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.
CEO Maxime Picat futher stated,“Peugeot is the sporty one. Step by step you’ll see it. The GT-Line and GT models already account for 22% of 308 sales in Europe, then we’ll have another hot model and then maybe the Hybrid R.” From this year it can be seen that Peugeot has been revamping its production goals and plans expand its market share. Picat also confirmed that a new SUV is under development, alongside similar models for Citroen and DS. “We’ll definitely have a larger SUV in the D segment by 2020,” he said.