Peugeot's Future Car is Called "World's First Diesel Hybrid" [PICS]

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Here's the latest future car to peek out from behind the Frankfurt Motor Show curtain, the Peugeot HX-1 plug-in hybrid. It features gullwing doors and a unique design the company calls "the first diesel hybrid in the world."

Peugeot says its goal with this concept car was to create a conveyance for six passengers that uses plug-in hybrid technology and can still deliver sporty performance while maintaining fuel efficiency. The French carmaker is getting creative with this concept, with 2.2-liter HDi diesel "Hybrid4" technology consisting of a diesel engine powering the front wheels while an electric motor powers the rear wheels.

It's a somewhat simpler method of delivering plug-in hybrid power, unlike hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrid which use a combination of an electric motor and internal combustion engine applied at the same time on the car's front wheels.

According to Peugeot's press release, the long, low-slung car can accommodate six passengers thanks to two retractable jump seats nestled between the front and rear seats. That small crowd of riders will be whisked to its destination post haste, thanks to the 299 hp of the combined electric and diesel power plants.

You'd think with all these swanky press materials, Peugeot was selling a production vehicle, not an experimental concept car:

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