Peugeot-designed Santa's sleigh (2010)

It's that time of year again when CAR commissions leading car designers to pen their vision of Santa's sleigh. First up in 2010's sleighfest is Peugeot's new Christmas transport.

The new Peugeot sleigh adopts all the latest design trends straight from the design bible of Gilles Vidal, the 38-year-old design director in Paris.

The surfaces are cleaner, purer - reflecting the latest offerings from Peugeot. Vidal's mantra is all about 'elegant precision' and we reckon the Peugeot sleigh captures that mood perfectly.

Indeed it does. The cab-back design gives the Pug sleigh a menacing attitude, with a very aerodynamic Santa sitting in a raised position to give him terrific vision of the chimneys and snow-bumps ahead.

And check out the bold scallop in the flanks of the Peugeot sleigh. It's reminiscent of the SR1 roadster concept car, the model that kicked off Paris's design renaissance 12 months ago.

Although Peugeot hasn't detailed the luggage capacity of its new sleigh, it's clear that the bundle of presents deposited by Father Christmas suggests it has a roomy boot behind that kicked-up rear end.

We love the detail in Peugeot's sleigh. Is that a hint of the Eiffel Tower in the background? Let's hope this presages further elegant Peugeots in 2011!

This is the third year CAR Magazine has approached automotive designers across the world to pen their brand's vision of Father Christmas's festive transport. Click the links (left) to browse through the best entries from 2008 and 2009.

By Tim Pollard