At the Geneva Motor Show from March 9, Peugeot will be offering a glimpse into the future of mobility with its ‘Instinct’ concept car. The new addition has a unique Shooting Brake which offers the option of fully autonomous driving or driver control. Given a sneak peek Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona before the official showing at the Swiss show, this handsome, sleek concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) power train offering a mighty 300hp. The car features both ‘Drive’ and ‘Autonomous’ modes, affording the driver the choice between an engaging drive and the convenience of a fully autonomous vehicle.

The Instinct is programmed with four distinct driving settings. In ‘Drive’ mode, drivers can opt for ‘Drive Boost’ or ‘Drive Relax’. With the Relax mode, the car will implement a full set of semi-autonomous assists available such as adaptive cruise control. On the flipped, Boost mode is thought to sharpen steering and suspension. In ‘Autonomous’ mode they have the option of ‘Autonomous Soft’ or ‘Autonomous Sharp,’ balancing comfort and optimized journey times.

Technophiles will be delighted to learn that on-board technology includes an ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) platform and the Samsung Artik Cloud, which syncs with the user’s devices. This enables the car to learn its user’s lifestyle and pre-configure its settings — for example, driving mode, seat and interface settings, ambient lighting and audio.

This futuristic, intelligent technology offers scope for organizing our busy lifestyles. For example, it can read data from a smartwatch and configure its settings to ‘Autonomous Soft’ mode to give the driver a relaxing ride home after a trip to the gym.

Through the synchronization of the driver’s diary and the vehicle navigation system, the driver can be reminded to set off for an appointment 15 minutes earlier, to allow for the traffic and weather conditions at that time of day. Cameras in each LED headlamp will enable the car to scan the road ahead and communicate with the driving assistance systems. However, the driver remains fully in control at all times and is able to determine whether they have a hands-on or autonomous drive.

The Responsive i-Cockpit reacts, we are told, when switching between ‘Drive’ and ‘Autonomous’ modes. This helps to create the most suitable environment according to how the car is being used. When in ‘Autonomous’ mode, steering wheel and toggle switch panel fold into the dashboard and the accelerator pedal folds back into the pedal unit to maximize space, which will take a little getting used to.

The Peugeot Instinct concept vehicle is on display at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.