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Peugeot has shown the E-T16 Concept, a performance-focused electric hatchback with a square steering control called the Hypersquare. Its design depends on steer-by-wire, which sends driver inputs to computers and motors rather than through a conventional mechanical steering column. The concept’s production plans, final specifications and real-world steering feel have not been established.
Peugeot has presented the E-T16 Concept, a performance-focused electric hatchback with a square steering control called the Hypersquare that relies on steer-by-wire rather than a conventional mechanical link to the front wheels. The design matters because electronic steering allows a carmaker to vary the steering response and reduce how far the driver must turn the control, making a non-round shape more practical than it would be with ordinary steering hardware.
The Hypersquare has a central display and controls set into its squared-off shape. Peugeot says the display can be configured to show information such as speed and lap timing, while functions can be reached with finger movements. The concept was shown at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, alongside other French concept vehicles.
Peugeot describes the E-T16 as a tri-motor electric hatchback and says it can complete three laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife—more than 60 kilometers—in Performance mode without power limitation. That is a claim in the company’s release about a concept, not a verified production-car result. The available source does not provide independent testing or a finalized set of specifications.
The automaker says the Hypersquare draws inspiration from the steering control of its 9X8 endurance-racing car. Peugeot also says the system has been calibrated for performance driving. The report describes the E-T16’s styling as recalling the 205 T16 rally car, which won the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986.
Why the Square Control Needs Electronics
In a conventional car, the steering wheel is mechanically connected to the front wheels through steering components including a column and rack. Drivers may need to rotate a round wheel substantially to move from full left to full right. A square control would be awkward if it had to turn through the same range: its shape offers fewer natural places to grip as it rotates.
Steer-by-wire changes that arrangement. The driver’s steering input is read electronically, and motors turn the wheels. Software can vary the steering ratio, so a small movement may produce a larger change at low speeds and a gentler response at higher speeds. That flexibility is what makes a fixed, square control with nearby buttons and a display feasible in a way that a conventional steering connection would not readily support.
The tradeoff is that the mechanical link no longer directly transmits road feel to the driver. Steering feedback must be generated by the system, leaving questions about how natural and confidence-inspiring it feels in actual use. Peugeot’s claims about ergonomics and precision are manufacturer claims; the source report says an auto-show demonstration was expected, but supplies no independent assessment of the experience.
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From Mechanical Steering to Hypersquare
The Hypersquare is not presented as a standalone accessory: its square shape is tied to the steer-by-wire system beneath it. The source report contrasts it with the Tesla yoke, which retained conventional steering hardware. With a fixed mechanical steering relationship, drivers still had to make large hand-over-hand movements despite the yoke’s missing upper rim.
Steer-by-wire itself is not new. The report cites the Tesla Cybertruck and Lexus RZ as vehicles that offer the technology. It characterizes Peugeot’s design as a more direct attempt to reshape the steering control around the freedom electronic steering can provide, rather than simply altering a conventional wheel.
Peugeot has also shown the Hypersquare on other concepts, including the Polygon, described in the source as a non-performance vehicle. The E-T16 places the control in a performance-oriented concept, but that does not establish that the design will reach production or that its show-car form will be retained.
““The Hypersquare® integrates a configurable central display showing essential information such as speed and lap timing according to driving conditions.””
— Peugeot, describing the E-T16 Concept
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Production Plans and Road Feel
The source does not say whether the E-T16 Concept will become a production car, when a production version might arrive, or whether the Hypersquare will be offered in a road-going Peugeot. It also does not provide final technical details for the steering system, such as its operating safeguards or the exact steering response across driving conditions.
How the control feels in practice remains an open question. Without a direct mechanical connection, feedback reaching the driver is generated electronically. Peugeot describes the setup as precise and agile, but those descriptions have not been independently confirmed in the material provided. The stated Nürburgring capability is likewise a company claim about the concept, not a reported test result.
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Show Demonstrations Before Any Production Decision
The immediate opportunity to evaluate the idea is a demonstration at the Paris Motor Show, which the source report said would be available to attendees. A hands-on display could help visitors judge the control’s layout and basic operation, though it would not by itself answer how the system performs in a finished car on public roads or a racetrack.
Further clarity would require Peugeot to publish technical details, confirm whether the E-T16 or Hypersquare is headed for production, and provide testing that supports its performance and ergonomics claims. Until then, the confirmed development is a concept-car presentation—not a production launch or a validated assessment of the steering system.
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Key Questions
What is Peugeot’s Hypersquare?
It is a square-shaped steering control with a central configurable display, shown in Peugeot’s E-T16 Concept.
Why does the Hypersquare require steer-by-wire?
Steer-by-wire replaces the direct mechanical steering connection with electronic input and motors. Variable steering response can limit how far the driver needs to turn the control, making a square shape more workable than it would be with conventional steering.
Is the E-T16 going into production?
The source material does not confirm production plans. The E-T16 is described as a concept car, and Peugeot has not provided a production schedule in the supplied report.
Has Peugeot’s Nürburgring claim been independently verified?
No independent verification is included in the source. Peugeot says the concept can complete three laps, more than 60 kilometers, in Performance mode without power limitation; that remains a manufacturer claim in the available material.
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