Peugeot says its Instinct concept is a “glimpse into the future of mobility”, offering autonomous driving as an option.

The car features both ‘drive’ and ‘autonomous’ modes, affording the driver the choice between an engaging drive and the convenience of a fully autonomous vehicle.

The car is programmed with four distinct driving settings. In ‘drive’ mode, drivers can opt for ‘drive boost’ or ‘drive relax’, and in ‘autonomous’ mode they have the option of ‘autonomous soft’ or ‘autonomous sharp’, balancing comfort and optimised journey times.

Unveiled in Spain, the Instinct is powered by a PHEV powertrain.

David Peel, Peugeot UK managing director, said: “The autonomous future is happening now, and Instinct demonstrates how this can still be driven by a passion for brilliant design and driving pleasure.”

“Instinct is an uncompromised vehicle in every respect, from its elegant looks, performance and efficiency to its unique interior and intelligent technology, it is a unique proposition.”

Matthias Hossann, head of Peugeot concept cars said: “With the Instinct Concept and its responsive i-Cockpit, we are building on the factors that have made the brand’s latest models so successful.

“We are creating new forms of driving pleasure. These may come from the interfaces, the architecture or the styling. There is no reason why a self-driving car should be dull to look at or to experience.”

On board technology includes an ‘internet of things’ (IoT) platform, the Samsung ArtikTM Cloud, which syncs with the user’s devices.

This enables the car to learn its user’s lifestyle and preconfigure its settings. For example, driving mode, seat and interface settings, ambient lighting and audio can all be adapted seamlessly to the user’s routines.

This intelligent technology means the Instinct can adapt to match certain behaviours.

For example, it can read data from a smartwatch and configure its settings to ‘autonomous soft’ mode to give the driver a relaxing ride home after a trip to the gym.

Or, through the synchronisation of the driver’s diary and the vehicle navigation system, the driver is prompted to set off for an appointment 15 minutes earlier, to allow for the traffic and weather conditions at that time of day.

Inside, Instinct evolves the award-winning i-Cockpit interior architecture with a highly tactile, adaptable cabin, which switches from being a focused driving environment to a comfortable lounge space.

It reacts when switching between ‘drive’ and ‘autonomous’ modes to create the most suitable environment according to how the car is being used.

When in ‘autonomous’ mode, the steering wheel and toggle switch panel fold into the dashboard and the accelerator pedal folds back into the pedal unit to maximise space.

In both ‘drive’ and ‘autonomous’ modes, the driver retains control over the vehicle via the i-Device, which sits next to the 9.7” screen in the centre console.

The i-Device enables the driver to switch between modes so they can take action, like overtaking the car in front.

Passengers can also all communicate with the vehicle via a chatbot, a speech-driven personal assistant offering a vast array of services, including booking cinema tickets or buying online.

The Peugeot concept will be on display at the Mobile World Congress, Barcelona.