Price: R362 104
It might be cute and chic, but it packs plenty of punch when the need arises. Officially a 2+2 Coupé, the RCZ is all about making the driving experience great. At the same time, it is well kitted out and comfortable and looks good in environment. The instrument panel dials are contained in metal cases, with photo-etched, back-lit markings, a feature which is also continued in the stylish centrally mounted clock. And the best thing about this dream drive? It’s affordable!
Peugeot, buoyed by 200 years of history, is busy reinventing itself. And one of the results of the new wind blowing through the French marque’s headquarters is the new RCZ coupé.
Northern Spain is one of Europe’s remaining driving paradises. Beautiful roads, developed over the last few decades in conjunction with the EC. Comparatively little traffic. And, on the afternoon on which I headed out on a 250 km drive from my base at the Marques de Riscal, a luxury hotel at Elciego, not far from the Pyrenean border with France, hardly a soul to be seen, probably because the afternoon siesta is still very much part of local tradition. In short, the ideal situation in which to sample Peugeot’s new image-builder, the dramatic-looking RCZ coupé.
As Martine Faucon, product manager for the new model, has explained to me, the RCZ has been designed to inject new life into the Peugeot brand, “something special, exuding an air of excitement”. The name? Letters, rather than the traditional Peugeot numbers, symbolise its exclusive position. Yet there’s an historical ring to the symbols: RC we’ve seen before on show cars and hot hatches. And I can remember the sporty “chopped-off” 3-door 104 of the late ’70s that carried the 104Z badge… It’s also the first car to carry Peugeot’s new, redesigned, lion symbol.
Whatever, the RCZ is certainly a stunner. And don’t come with those “Audi TT look-alike” comments: in the metal this car really does look special, a lot more “mid-engined” in its styling than a TT, and distinctive because of those aluminium side-rails, “double-bubble” roof and rear screen and the dramatic rear haunches. Those haunches remind one of the curves of Brigitte Bardot in her prime… and the best view is from the driving seat, framed in the glass of the large exterior mirrors. Immediately got me humming one of my favourite French tunes, “Initials BB”… But pardon me for going on about things French. This car was styled by a German, Boris Reinmöller, and is built in Graz, Austria by Peugeot partner Magna!
Inside, the stunning style continues. The cabin has a quality feel, with even the entry versions featuring a facia and door-cappings upholstered in a soft “faux cuir” that has the look and feel of real leather. And the real stuff is optional, though I would say it actually does not overshadow the simulated material. Dials and controls have the kind of stylishness of the first Audi TT, something I believe has been lost on the toned down latest Ingolstadt model. And yes, I keep referring to the Audi, because that’s the car the RCZ is aimed at, though in Europe it is up to 6 000 Euros cheaper.
They have two versions for me to sample, a petrol and a diesel. I leave the hotel in a 2,0-litre HDi FAP 163, the familiar PSA turbodiesel tuned to deliver 120 kW at 3 750 r/min and 340 N.m between 2 000 and 3 000 r/min. The engine has a sporty feel, completely in tune with the chassis of the RCZ (inherited from the 308, complete with front MacPherson struts and rear twist-beam, though with spring rates tuned for more enthusiastic driving).
Enthusiasm is what this car evokes, it’s fairly light steering having a directness and feel that makes you want to press on in the bends, of which there were plenty on the sinuous mountain test route. Ride is sporty, but still excellent in the Peugeot tradition and grip from the 235/40 Contis on 19-inch wheels fitted to my car (18-inchers are also available) is considerable. Niggles? A bit of wind noise from those giant mirrors and a slight notchiness from the six-speed gearshift.
For the return leg I try the 1,6 THP 200 petrol model. The sound of the 147 kW motor (peak torque 275 N.m between 1 700 and 4 500 r/min) is inspiring, Peugeot having worked on giving it a sporty note that is chanelled into the cabin where it can be enjoyed. That was on the mountain passes, of course. But, on a stretch of highway just before the end of the leg, it became a bit of a drone. Soon we’ll be getting a 115 kW (156 horsepower) model powered by a Cooper S 1,6-litre turbo engine.
That’s one of the engines that will be on offer when the RCZ comes to South Africa in September. No diesel is planned initially, but there’ll also be the 147 kW petrol unit. Prices? Undecided right now. Currently the entry model costs some 26 000 Euros in Europe. So I reckon that prices will start at around R350 000, as Peugeot is determinded to undercut Audi’s TT.
