At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Dongfeng’s two French joint ventures put four concept vehicles on the floor in a coordinated push that looks like more than a design exercise. Production starts in 2027, on Chinese platforms, in China, but export is on the agenda. Are these the successors to the famed Peugeot 508 and 5008?
The Beijing International Auto Show increasingly serves as a barometer for Western brands to gauge customer appetite and anticipate future technologies. Dongfeng Peugeot and Dongfeng Citroën arrived with four concept vehicles.
These are not for show only. The production models that follow from these concepts will sit on Dongfeng platforms and roll out of Dongfeng’s Wuhan assembly plant. The significance is that Peugeot is not merely using Chinese manufacturing capacity; it is adopting Chinese technology as the foundation for a product range that CEO Alain Favey describes as globally relevant. “China is a major driver of our global transformation”, he said. In other words, we shouldn’t be surprised to see European models built and developed in the People’s Republic.
A new segment awaits
The two main Peugeot unveilings don’t carry fancy names. The Concept 6 sits between a saloon and a shooting brake. Peugeot talks about evoking its history with that type of car, and this is likely a preview of a 508 successor. Peugeot quietly withdrew from this segment in 2025 when production of the second-generation 508 ended.
The Concept 8 is a larger proposition, a full-size SUV with an aerodynamic silhouette and considerable visual mass. This model previews a new flagship that would position itself above the current 5008. It’s a new segment for the brand. One at which Favay hinted at during the Brussels Motor Show in January. ”Such a car would need to be something really different”, he then stated. The Beijing concept suggests that direction has been settled.
No drivelines yet
As for technology, both Concept 6 and Concept 8 are confirmed to feature steer-by-wire technology, advanced driver assistance systems, and configurable driving modes. Detailed powertrain specifications have not been disclosed.
The front of both cars carries the three-claw LED signature that has become Peugeot’s signature, framed by a closed grille and, as the modern trend dictates, illuminated logos on both the grille and the fenders.
Return to legacy?
Also on the Peugeot stand was the Polygon Concept, a sub-4-meter study that Peugeot originally revealed in November last year. It’s connected to the Concept 6 and Concept 8 through its centerpiece: the Hypersquare. This square wheel is linked to a fully electronic steer-by-wire architecture, a system borrowed from aerospace.
Sister brand Citroën also brought an older entry to Beijing (from December 2025): the ELO Concept, its modern MPV. However, the message of this concept is not merely its clever interior: the driver’s seat sits in the center of the cabin, which enables two distinct seating arrangements: a 1+3 layout with the driver alone in the front row, or a more conventional 3+3 six-seat configuration.
According to its CEO, Xavier Chardon, Citroën wants to fight Chinese competition by leveraging its legacy advantage. Although Asians are particularly fond of ‘living room interiors’ for their cars, Citroën could regain traction by bringing to market a serious successor to the Picasso.
