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Peugeot has shown the E-T16 Concept, a performance-focused electric hatchback with a square Hypersquare steering control and steer-by-wire. The setup removes the conventional mechanical steering connection, allowing software to vary steering response; how natural the system feels to drivers and whether it will reach production remain unclear.
Peugeot has presented the E-T16 Concept, a performance-focused electric hatchback with a squared-off Hypersquare steering control that depends on steer-by-wire rather than a conventional mechanical connection to the front wheels. The concept, shown at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, illustrates how electronically controlled steering can make a non-round control practical, though Peugeot has not confirmed that the E-T16 will enter production.
The Hypersquare is not simply a conventional steering wheel with its rim reshaped. Peugeot describes it as a steering control with integrated buttons and a configurable central display, which can show information such as speed and lap timing. The company says drivers can reach key functions with finger movements while keeping their hands on the control.
Peugeot says the E-T16 uses a specially calibrated steer-by-wire system in a performance-focused configuration. In a conventional setup, a steering column and rack physically transmit the driver’s movement to the wheels. With steer-by-wire, sensors and software interpret the input, while electric actuators turn the wheels. That gives engineers scope to change the steering ratio for different speeds and driving conditions.
The E-T16 is described as a tri-motor electric concept with styling that recalls Peugeot’s 205 T16 rally car. Peugeot also claims the concept can complete three laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife—more than 60 kilometres—in Performance mode without power limitation. That is a manufacturer claim about a concept vehicle, not an independently verified production-car result.
Why the Square Control Needs Software
The unusual shape works because steer-by-wire means the control does not need to rotate through the same large range as a conventional wheel. Peugeot can, in principle, tune how much wheel movement follows a given hand movement, using a quick response at low speeds and a less sensitive response at higher speeds. That flexibility creates room for a compact control with buttons and a display close to the driver’s hands.
The design also brings a meaningful trade-off: removing the direct mechanical connection changes what drivers feel. Steering feedback must be generated or adjusted electronically, rather than transmitted through a physical steering system. Peugeot praises the control’s precision and agility, but those are company claims; the source material does not provide independent testing or driver evaluations of the E-T16’s system.
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From Conventional Wheels to Hypersquare
A standard steering wheel is connected to the front wheels through mechanical components. Its round shape supports large hand-over-hand turns, including during parking. A squared control can be awkward when paired with a fixed-ratio conventional system because the driver may need to turn it farther than its shape comfortably allows.
That issue featured in criticism of the Tesla steering yoke, according to the source report: the yoke changed the shape but retained conventional steering underneath. Steer-by-wire changes the underlying mechanism as well. The source notes that the Tesla Cybertruck and Lexus RZ already offer steer-by-wire, while describing the Hypersquare as a design that more directly uses the technology’s potential. Peugeot has also shown the control on other concepts, including the Polygon.
The 2026 Paris show features several French concept-car projects, but the E-T16 is the relevant development here because its steering design depends on the electronic system rather than appearance alone. A concept-car presentation, however, does not establish that the feature will be offered in a customer vehicle.
“The Hypersquare® integrates a configurable central display showing essential information such as speed and lap timing according to driving conditions.”
— Peugeot, in its description of the E-T16 Concept
square Hypersquare steering control
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Production and Road Feel Remain Open
Peugeot has not confirmed in the supplied material whether the E-T16 will become a production model, when a road-going version might appear, or whether the Hypersquare itself will be offered to customers. The concept’s performance figures and descriptions of its steering are manufacturer statements, not independently validated measurements.
It is also unclear how the system feels in real-world driving. Because steer-by-wire removes the direct mechanical path between the driver and the wheels, the quality and naturalness of the feedback matter. The source report says a demonstration unit was expected at the show, but provides no results from a public demonstration or independent evaluation. Details such as production specifications, availability, pricing, and any market-specific requirements are not provided.
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Show Demonstrations Before Production
The next near-term opportunity to judge the Hypersquare is a hands-on demonstration at the Paris Motor Show, if the unit described in the report is available to visitors. Such a demonstration could offer an initial sense of the control’s ergonomics, but would not establish how the system performs across everyday driving conditions.
Peugeot would need to provide further information before the concept could be assessed as a consumer product, including whether the steering technology will reach production and how its response and feedback are calibrated. Until then, the E-T16 is evidence of Peugeot’s design direction, not confirmation of a vehicle or steering control that buyers can order.
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Key Questions
What is Peugeot’s Hypersquare?
It is a square-shaped steering control with integrated buttons and a configurable central display, shown in the E-T16 Concept.
Why does the Hypersquare require steer-by-wire?
Steer-by-wire electronically interprets driver inputs and turns the wheels using actuators. Software can vary the steering ratio, so the control does not need the large rotations expected of a conventional mechanical steering setup.
Is the Peugeot E-T16 going into production?
The supplied report does not confirm production plans for the E-T16 Concept. Peugeot’s presentation at the motor show is not, by itself, a production announcement.
Has the Hypersquare been independently tested?
The source material includes Peugeot’s claims about precision and agility but no independent test results or detailed evaluation of how the system feels on the road.
Source: rss
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