Since 2014, and more prominently since 2016, with the launch of the new 3008 & 5008 SUV, Peugeot has partnered with the prestigious French brand Focal to design its on-board hi-fi systems.
The two companies share identical brand values, an essential starting point for a perfect collaboration.
Focal is recognised as a world leader in the manufacture of hi-fi solutions and is based in Saint-Étienne (France).
This French company manufactures loudspeakers for the home and multimedia, audio systems for cars, monitoring loudspeakers for recording studios and audiophile headphones.
All Focal products are designed and developed in France with nearly 40 years of innovation in exclusive acoustic technologies and its engineers are involved very early on in a new vehicle project.
To design the Focal premium high-fidelity system, designers, engineers and sound technicians from both brands have combined their expertise by coming up with a tailor-made aesthetic and acoustic integration.
The result must be adapted to the characteristics of each vehicle and take into account the specific features of the chosen audio system.
The interior design of each Peugeot model with a Focal installation has thus enjoyed a specific development linked to the Hi-Fi option.
The work of integrating the loudspeakers goes beyond simple positioning in the passenger compartment of the vehicles.
It is the result of several years of creation and cross-design of strategic parts guaranteeing the final acoustic quality.
Each area of the vehicle is studied which includes dashboard, glazing and doors among others.
Everything relies on design and materials to obtain the best rigidity, eliminate vibrations and optimise the layout of the system.
For each new collaboration, the entire passenger compartment is the subject of a specific development.
A Focal Hi-Fi option is a set of exclusive acoustic improvements that includes heavyweights in the doors, choice of density for the sealing membranes, laminated glazing, simulations and studies of dashboard load volumes, the orientation of the tweeters and opening rate as well as thickness of the protective grilles to name a few.
The Hi-Fi System generally consists of Focal's latest ranges of Sopra or Chora loudspeakers.
Then it’s time to choose the loudspeakers, these unique pieces that FOCAL has been imagining and manufacturing for more than 40 years.
There are proprietary and patented technologies to transpose the sound space and distil all the details and the atmosphere of the musical creations being listened to.
Hours of fine-tuning are then necessary and thousands of kilometres are travelled by acoustic engineers.
This is done in order to get the best out of the installation, thereby ensuring an optimal and unique listening experience.
The quality of the previous steps is essential to electronically adjust the sound scene, creating a comfortable environment and listening quality that belongs only to the car being studied.
With the two tricolour manufacturers having joined forces to create an exceptional listening experience in the car, they are also working together beyond the mere design of a Hi-Fi system tailored to a vehicle.
These two companies are nonetheless committed to all the details upstream and downstream that will simply serve the sound and enable participation in a unique experience.
Therefore, to fully discover and feel the mastery of the FOCAL Premium Hi-Fi System on-board the French carmaker's vehicles, the teams called on French composer Benjamin Shielden to write a musical track: Golden Lion.
This exclusive track showcases the quality of the audio system and listening environment during demonstrations.
