Peugeot reveals i-Cockpit version 2.0

French car-maker Peugeot has revealed its second-generation high-tech i-Cockpit solution for cabin instrumentation, ditching analogue dials and gauges for high-definition computer graphics.

The benefits of replacing analogue gauges with a large 12.3-inch screen include reduced cost to manufacture and fit, improved aesthetics and superior information delivery.

Peugeot's i-Cockpit design can be seen today in more than two million vehicles globally, such as the 208 and 308 small cars, and includes three "essential elements" which are:

>> A compact steering wheel designed to deliver "more agile manoeuvrability and improved driving sensation"

>> A head-up instrumentation panel that increases the amount of time a driver spends looking directly ahead at the road

>> A large touch-screen that encompasses all ancillary controls, such as heating, cooling, navigation, phone and audio

The i-Cockpit design's chief aim is to simplify the dashboard and reduce the number of buttons, which in turn allows designers more freedom.

As mentioned, the major difference for the new i-Cockpit design is the inclusion of a large 12.3-inch screen to replace traditional analogue gauges, and much like Mercedes-Benz's new digitised instruments and brilliant Audi's Virtual Cockpit, it can display everything from navigation instructions to road speed and semi-autonomous drive functions.

The head-up instrumentation display is fully customisable, says Peugeot, and is likely to find its way into next-generation Peugeot vehicles, although which particular vehicle this will be is not yet publicly known.

It will also feature native support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring -- a must in today's competitive automotive marketplace.

Peugeot insists its i-Cockpit interior design philosophy "flatters the senses, exudes quality and introduces innovation".

So confident is the French car-maker its second-generation i-Cockpit will be a hit with drivers that it insists that the new interface, seats, trimmings and overall design will soon make driving a Peugeot "a unique, unforgettable, compelling and addictive experience".