2010 5 By Peugeot: C’est Charmant

by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Peugeot :::

EVERY so often the French produce an automotive design that hits the ball out of the park.

In post war years, the unique Citroen DS was one such icon. Seemingly, it’s only when the moons align somewhere above Sacre Coeur that any of France’s Grande Trois manufacture a car with a physical sense of drama that matches the auto’s innovative functions; together colluding to push the language of automotive design forward.

The 5 by Peugeot isn’t one of those designs.

But it is spec-tacular!

All too often, the French (like the Italians) take their artistic aspirations and go off the deep end. Peugeot, Renault, and Citroen have all sold cars that were by virtue of odd shapes, poor build quality, and peculiar ergonomics unpalatable by most consumer residing outside of France.

For once, Peugeot is offering a concept that’s both mainstream (in a global sense) and exotic. Sure, there’s plenty of BMW and even Infiniti in that wedge profile, Hoffmeister kink c-pillar, flame surfaced sheetmetal, high EU-mandated hood and coupe like roofline.

There’s also Aston Martin, too, in those wild headlights and cleanly cleaved front intakes.

But make no mistake – it’s as if design director Gilles Vidal and Team Peugeot took every facet of every contemporary car they liked and incorporated them into their own midsize executive saloon.

What we’re left with is a real rival that in production form as the next 608 will challenge German inroads into the French market and maybe, just maybe, take a charge into the heart of Bavaria via Alsace Lorraine.

Heck, if Peugeot had a Stateside presence of any kind, all those American customers who still cling to their rickety 505s would probably trade up.

Nah, but it was a thought.

It’s clear that the 5 by Peugeot is a bald faced slap at Ze Germans and takes straight aim at the BMW 5-Series (donc, le nom). Even if this Peugeot doesn’t have the makings of an original Francophile icon, or the international presence to upstage BMW, it’s hard to not appreciate for the 5 by Peugeot for both its effort and its, ahem, Continental charm.