Tucked away in the corner of Peugeot UK’s website, there’s a small section we like to keep an eye on. Named ‘Concept Cars’, it’s a chance for the French firm to showcase cars that may (or may not) one day make it to production.

Now, normally, this section is full of weird, sci fi-esque renderings, and perhaps the odd van or two. But today we noticed something a little more interesting – this 308 R Hybrid, which looks a darn sight closer to production trim than a lot of its concept counterparts.

Said to sport 500bhp through all four wheels with its plug-in hybrid technology, the car resembles the 308 GTi in many ways. This is both a good and a bad thing. Sharing the interior was a great starting point, as this is one of the GTi’s strongest assets. But the two-tone exterior? Maybe ditch that idea if this car ever reaches production, Peugeot…

But all joking aside, this car represents a massive milestone for us EV lovers. It’s the first (potentially) affordable, performance-orientated electric-enhanced car that any manufacturer has talked about, and suggests a new era of performance hot-hatch EVs may well be among us soon…