Geneva 2010: 5 by Peugeot

One thing Peugeot has always been known for is its unique, oddly-styled vehicles. French quirkiness in automotive design that is also shared with the brand's now-sister company Citroen at PSA.

Could the company be moving away from that with its latest new vehicles? It certainly seems so.

The last concept by Peugeot, the SR1 showed a far more sedate, and dare we say a bit bland new Peugeot styling language. The 5 by Peugeot continues that. Peugeot still has to show its different side in the name though - 5 by Peugeot?

You can bet that won't be sticking around for the production model. This concept looks to be a pretty close preview to the production model replacement for the 508.

The car looks upscale, clean and good looking, particularly from certain angles, but doesn't seem to bring anything new to the table.

It is also a bit bland from a brand that has traditionally been anything but. Considering that this is the concept model, that can't bode well for what is likely to be an even more tame production car.

The detail we like is the taillights out back - they have a unique design and layout, with two elongated sections and three central pieces connecting them.

Like most concepts lately, the car is a hybrid. In this case the primary engine is a 163 horsepower 2.0-liter HDi FAP diesel engine along with a 37-horsepower electric unit.

Peugeot calls the system Hybrid4 (for all-wheel drive) and says that the system will have the ability for an electric-only range. It likely will be a small figure, but it is good to see the availability of running on electric-only power spreading to more hybrid systems.

We'll have to wait to see more official images and details to be able to judge completely. In the meantime, what do you think? Is this the direction Peugeot should be going in?