Knockout looks; real sports car interior; nice drive; great price
Great chassis deserves more power
The reasonably-priced mainstream sports coupe market is back in fashion and the Peugeot RCZ is a star. Available with turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, the RCZ makes a bold statement for Peugeot.
Peugeot and sports cars you question? Well the French brand has a long history in motor sport, including Formula One not so long ago, and is currently one of the major players in sports car endurance racing, winning at the Le Mans 24-hour just a couple of years back.
Peugeot RCZ Overview
The Peugeot RCZ, Peugeot’s entry to the sports coupe market, was heralded in concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007 and, such was the response, it was rushed into production. Manufacturing is undertaken at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria.
Remarkably styled, beautifully finished and great to drive, the Peugeot RCZ is also handily priced ($54,990 for petrol and diesel). Peugeot RCZ’s technologically-superb double-bubble glass roof is a highlight.
Peugeot RCZ is basically a two-seater, although there are two fold-down rear seats for youngsters or occasional adults.
So if you’re shopping in this league, don’t just consider the considerably more expensive Audi TT – at Car Showroom we’re huge fans of the Peugeot RCZ.
Peugeot RCZ Engine
Peugeot offers the RCZ with a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine in both six-speed manual or automatic. The turbo-diesel as tested is only sold with a six-speed manual transmission.
The 2.0-litre HDi turbo-diesel is Euro5-compliant for emissions and is one of the latest European designs with common-rail high-pressure direct injection and variable-geometry turbocharger.
Maximum power is 120kW at 4,000rpm and peak torque of 340Nm is delivered between 2,000-3,000rpm. Aided by a gear change indicator light to encourage fuel-efficient driving, the Peugeot RCZ diesel returns combined cycle fuel consumption of 5.3l/100kms and exhaust emissions are rated at 139g/km.
On the road that flat torque translates into strong acceleration and really, the RCZ pulls so strongly, even in the twisty stuff, gear changes are not so numerous. In city driving the diesel-powered RCZ is similarly relaxed – loping along with ease.
Peugeot RCZ The Interior
To the driver, true sports cars feel like true sports cars the second you open the door and get seated. It’s something about the all-enveloping feel, the relationship of the steering wheel to the pedals and gear lever which instantly says: “drive me hard” – and the Peugeot RCZ has that feel.
The steering wheel feels great – leather-wrapped, thick and flat at the bottom with adjustment for rake and reach.
Peugeot RCZ also delivers nicely-formed front seats, heated and finished in Nappa leather with integrated head-restraints. Electronic adjustment covers height, slide and recline functions, while the lumbar support is manual – the result is a superb driving position.
Instruments are four gauges, trimmed in brushed alloy with white needles and housed in a binnacle with a carbon look – very sporty.
Sound comes from a six-speaker, single CD unit with USB connector, remote jack socket, audio streaming and hands-free Bluetooth.
Behind are small flip-down rear seats which the Car Showroom juniors used, but our mates from footy struggled – although the unique double bubble roof does provide enhanced head-room.
The boot is surprisingly large – 384-litres with the rear seat in place or 760-litres with the seat folded (and long enough in that format to accommodate a couple of sets of golf clubs). There’s also small under-floor boxes to keep stored items out of sight.
Peugeot RCZ Exterior & Styling
For those rooted in the past who think Peugeot can’t style modern cars, think again – the RCZ is here (and the 508, 308 and 308CC for that matter!). The French giant has turned the corner and is delivering new models which ramp-up the glamour.
In the case of the Peugeot RCZ you must start with the roof and rear window – a double bubble glass design, made with truly 21st century technology and craftsmanship. It’s a standout look which had passers by gawking during our week with the RCZ in Melbourne.
At the front, Peugeot’s designers have cleverly blended a totally modern sports car look while retaining the brand’s classic style. It’s quite sports car-aggressive with a downward slope, large air intake and superb directional Bi-Xenon headlights which wrap onto the broadly curved from fenders.
The side view is highlighted by the sharply curved roof, bold side creases and a waistline kick-up at the rear edge of the doors which blends into the rear windows. Like the fronts, the rear fenders are bulbous and combine with the diesel’s large 19-inch alloy wheels (18-inch on petrol models, 19-inch an option) to deliver a true sports car on-road presence.
A curved boot with large, bright-red taillights delivers a stylish rear view.
Peugeot RCZ employs a speed-related two-stage spoiler, stored behind the rear window. Its first position (19 degrees) is employed between 55km/h and 145km/h, beyond which while stage two (34 degrees) is activated.
Not surprisingly, the Peugeot RCZ slips through the air – the drag Cd is 0.32.
Peugeot RCZ On The Road
We’ve read some who question a diesel-powered sports car but that’s not a point of view we agree with. Sort of misses the point of the Peugeot RCZ we reckon.
At $54,990, the Peugeot RCZ does not stake a claim to rival Audi’s $136,900, 250kW/450Nm TT RS TFSI Quattro – but the stylish French coupe is ideal for its target market with handy acceleration (zero to 100km/h in 8.2 seconds – just one tenth slower than Volkswagen’s Golf GTD) and the environmental cred that comes with a diesel.
The Peugeot RCZ rides on a modified version of Peugeot’s ‘Platform 2’ chassis architecture (shared with the Peugeot 308). However the RCZ has a wider track, lower ride height and unique components – wishbones, stiffer dampers and beefier mounts.
Our high-speed mountain road test loop the Peugeot RCZ was a delight with lots of torque from the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, slick shifts from the six-speeder and wonderful chassis balance. Turn-in was crisp, cornering was flat and precise and not even mid-turn bumps unsettled things too much.
We liked the precise power steering which provided excellent feedback (Peugeot RCZ uses a higher output hydraulic electro-pump than the 308).
At all speeds, refinement levels were impressive with little intrusion of road noise and only some buffeting from the exterior mirrors. As part of its refinement process, Peugeot fits the RCZ with a damper on the rear suspension cross member – clever thinking.
Around town Peugeot’s 2.0-litre turbo-diesel provided good acceleration for freeway merging. Of course, with restricted rear three-quarter visibility (a trait of all sports cars), reverse parking required care and use of the exterior mirrors.
In summary: the Peugeot RCZ diesel is a sports car you can enjoy both during the weekday commute and at the weekend.
Peugeot RCZ Challenges
Car Showroom has no criticism of the Peugeot RCZ product but, given the profile of buyers in this segment, we just wonder if sales might be lost with no automatic version of the diesel model.
Peugeot RCZ Verdict
Audi’s pure styling for the TT (acclaimed even by rival car designers) has met its match with the Peugeot RCZ’s to-die-for looks. The ‘double bubble’ roof is not only innovative it’s also reminiscent of the current Peugeot Le Mans racers – that’s genuine sports car styling.
Same inside with a great match of sports luxury and a genuine high performance sports car feel.
For us, Peugeot has nailed it with the RCZ (diesel or petrol) and we would buy one in a heartbeat.
Peugeot RCZ The Competition
Clearly the most direct rival for the Peugeot RCZ is Audi’s hot-selling TT, available with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel delivering 125kW/350Nm to the Peugeot RCZ’s 120kW/340Nm. While there’s not much to separate them under the bonnet, the Audi is $14,360 more expensive ($69,350 for the Audi TT 2.0TDI Quattro to $54,990 for the Peugeot RCZ) – that’s a lot of coin for all-wheel-drive grip.
