Steering wheels have been round for well over a century. Peugeot arrived at the 2026 Paris Motor Show — open to the public October 13–18 — with a square one, and the shape isn’t the point. The point is what makes it possible. Without steer-by-wire, a system that replaces the mechanical connection between driver and front wheels with electronic signals and software, the Hypersquare cannot function as designed. With it, the compact square shape becomes geometrically logical. Variable steering ratios reduce the hand movement required, eliminating the need for full lock-to-lock rotation. Software talks to actuators. The mechanical column is gone from the equation.
A Rally Pedigree Behind a Very Unusual Dashboard
The E-T16 borrows its name from a genuine legend — and asks a great deal of it.
The original 205 T16 won the WRC manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships in both 1985 and 1986. Peugeot’s new concept carries that lineage into electric territory with a tri-motor powertrain claiming 816 horsepower, a 0–300 km/h sprint of 16 seconds, and — according to Peugeot — the ability to complete three Nürburgring Nordschleife laps, over 60 kilometers, in Performance mode without power limitation. These are manufacturer figures for a concept vehicle, not independently verified results.
Key specs at a glance:
- Three electric motors, 816 hp (Peugeot claim)
- 0–300 km/h in 16 seconds (Peugeot claim)
- Hypersquare integrates thumb-operated controls and a central display showing speed and lap timing
- Steer-by-wire: software-variable ratio, no fixed mechanical steering link
- Concept only — no confirmed production plans for the E-T16 itself
The Hypersquare works because the ratio itself changes. Tight low-speed maneuver? The system reportedly delivers a quicker response. Highway cruise? Calmer inputs. That is the technical justification for the compact shape — not aesthetics. The comparison with the Tesla yoke is instructive: critics and reviewers have noted that a yoke fitted to a conventional mechanical rack still demands substantial rotation, which can create awkward hand placement when the top of the wheel is absent. Peugeot’s approach differs in principle because the ratio changes rather than just the silhouette. According to Peugeot, the system delivers “fully electronic vehicle control” enabling “improved responsiveness, precision, maneuverability, and agility” — corporate claims that await real-world validation.
The Part Peugeot Still Has to Prove
The motor show environment answers none of the questions that matter most about daily usability.
The Hypersquare depends on electronically generated steering feedback to recreate what a conventional rack transmits through physics. That is a solvable engineering problem — but whether it has been solved in a way that feels instinctive during an emergency lane change, a tight parking turn, or an unremarkable commute remains an open question for any driver who encounters it. Peugeot’s Polygon concept is the active development vehicle for this technology, with production introduction reportedly targeted from 2027 and the Hypersquare expected to influence the next-generation E-208.
The E-T16 may never reach a showroom. But the steering technology beneath it is, according to Peugeot, headed for production cars. The concept is the pitch deck. The next-generation E-208 is where the Hypersquare meets real scrutiny — in traffic, in the rain, on an unremarkable Tuesday.
