Peugeot’s SXC luxury SUV concept could point to next-generation BMW rival. In text-talk, “SXC” is “sexy”. In Peugeot parley, however, “SXC” stands for the “Shanghai Cross Concept”.
The French brand has unveiled its new SXC high-riding crossover model ahead of the Shanghai motor show this week, and it could be a big model for the company – in more ways than one.
The SXC points the way to a new range-topping SUV for the French brand, a production version of which could go up against competitors such as BMW’s X5 and Audi’s Q7.
The SXC soft-roader measures up about the same size as a BMW X5 for length at 4.87 metres (the X5 is 4.86m), but is noticeably more squat at 1.61m tall (the BMW is 1.78m). However, the SXC’s staggering 2.03m girth makes it broader-shouldered than its German competitor by a whopping 10cm.
It wears Peugeot’s increasingly familiar new family face, with a pair of slim headlights and oversized air intakes dominating the front-end of the car, while in profile the SXC’s 22-inch alloy wheels, high-walled doors, and floating-look roof-rails separate it from the crowd.
The rear features a pair of eye-catching boomerang-shaped tail-lights, with the rear bumper’s integrated exhaust housings almost symmetrical to the gaping holes in the front bumper.
The SXC features a sporty four-seater layout, with access to the back buckets via a set of reverse-hinged doors. Leather and brushed aluminium are slathered throughout the cabin, while its numerous touch-screen control systems add a touch of techno-wizardry.
The SXC uses Peugeot’s HYbrid4 technology, with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine sending power to the front wheels while an electric motor positioned at the rear of the car can send power to the rear wheels on demand (pure EV mode is also available).
The HYbrid4 drivetrain produces a maximum output of more than 230kW, while achieving a claimed consumption of just 4.9L/100km (with emissions of 143g/km). The new concept SUV has been specifically modelled with China in mind, and was penned by the French brand’s Shanghai design team.
If it makes it to production, the SXC could potentially sit above the brand’s other soft-roader models, the compact 3008 and the slow-selling Mitsubishi Outlander-based 4007.
Peugeot Australia will introduce a HYbrid4 version of its 3008 crossover later this year, which will make use of a frugal turbo diesel engine. Peugeot says the 3008 HYbrid4’s consumption figure is 4.0L/100km (with emissions of just 99g/km).