Looks like the RCZ will part of Peugeots Model Cut?

[Anonymous]

Oh no Looks like the RCZ will be a casualty of Peugeots model cuts?

From Autocar

Peugeot boss Maxime Picat has confirmed the Peugeot RCZ will not be replaced, which also spells the end for the performance RCZ R version.

The coupe will be a casualty of Peugeot’s model cull, which will reduce the number of vehicles it produces from 26 to 13 by 2022. Other vehicles set to be killed off have not been confirmed, but all are expected to be niche sellers.

“If I tell you that the 13 most important silhouettes that we sell account for 95% of all our sales and more than 100% of all our profits you will understand why this is necessary,” said Picat at the Shanghai motor show. Peugeot made multi-billion pound losses in 2012 and 2013, prior to instigating a streamlining programme that brought it back in to profit last year.

“I love the RCZ, but I want us to focus on making the best of our core models, from Peugeot 108 upwards, and to exploit what we then have to the best of our abilities. For each of those cars we can choose attributes and be the best. Chasing niches is for premium brands; for us it has been a distraction.”

Picat also revealed that the firm is evaluating the possibility of adding a large, D-segment SUV to its line-up before the end of the decade, but stressed that no decisions had been made. “It is something we are definitely looking in to,” he said.

 

[renegade79]

This was highly suspected previously so it doesn't come as much of a surprise - disappointing but not surprising!! If anything it makes the R version that bit more rare and inevitably a future cult classic!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Saddening but not unsurprising. As renegade says, this has been alluded to in the past. Ultimately it's about profit and I can kind of understand the logic behind the decision. It's a real shame though because cars such as the RCZ have the potential to completely relaunch and reimagine a company whose image has suffered badly in recent years.

 

[DKZ5745]

Annoyingly, it's clearly the best thing Pug have ever made, but, as the guy says, in a roundabout way, money talks, and if it's not making them enough, it will go :thumbdown:

 

[Abzynthe]

How can more than 100% of the profit come from 95% of the cars?

You cant get more than 100% of the profit.

 

[DKZ5745]

He's from France :eusa-think:

 

[Anonymous]

Annoyingly, it's clearly the best thing Pug have ever made.....

No way !!
You're forgetting the Peugeot 309, 405 and we used to have a 1007 (I think was the number) back in the early 80's.
Now that was LUSH with it's brown cloth interior - loved it.

:thumbup:

 

[DKZ5745]

I had a 309 and a 405, and I STILL bought another Peugeot :shock:

Actually, I really did like driving the 405, it was a really nice drive, and pretty quick too, in-between wheel bearing changes that is :eusa-whistle:

 

[tianorth]

Annoyingly, it's clearly the best thing Pug have ever made.....

No way !!
You're forgetting the Peugeot 309, 405 and we used to have a 1007 (I think was the number) back in the early 80's.
Now that was LUSH with it's brown cloth interior - loved it.

:thumbup:

I have owned 3 x 405's, My nan had bought 2 x 309's, my mam is still driving a 1007 (they only came out in 2005-2011).

I liked the 405's because of their squareness.

I like to quirkyness of the 1007. :lol:

I love the RCZ due to all the curves!!!

 

[stagger321]

This was highly suspected previously so it doesn't come as much of a surprise - disappointing but not surprising!! If anything it makes the R version that bit more rare and inevitably a future cult classic!!!

Indeed. Not wishing to say I told you so..........(OK well maybe I do. Ha)
But seriously this has been on the cards for ages, and reported from the CEO in Sept last year.
Its simple economics (even if the maths reported are somewhat laughable).
Its the same policy lots of companies take when they are financially on the ropes, and when it comes to protecting the brand. Basically protect your core product line.
Its exactly what Alan Mulally did for Ford before he retired. Circle the wagons around the stuff that makes you the most money.

RCZ is very niche, is low volume and low returns. The R even more so.

So, as I've said before (sorry :dance: ) get yourself a good second hand R.

 

[Anonymous]

I think Peugeot have missed the point personally. By way of example, I've followed the return to form of Jaguar in recent years, starting with the XK, majoring in the XF and then XJ. Then they brought out the F Type... Costly to develop and to buy, for a niche market to be sold in low volume... The point being is that it is an aspirational car that will attract people to the brand...even if they can't afford an f type they might buy something else in the range - a pinnacle car acts as a technology and prowess demonstrator showing what a company can really do with the gloves off. For Peugeot, the likes of the 205GTI and 406 Coupe were that car a while back and in more modern times the RCZ we all know and love, a real head turner that will make people stop and stare. Look at any of the other major manufacturers... Focus ST, DS3 racing, Megane Cup through to Audi R8, F Type, BMW I8, AM177 all low volume sellers compared to the manufacturers other cars but they are there for a reason... Yes they are costly compared to the mainstream but they are an advert for the company at the end of the day. I don't think Pugs latest GTIs have the same clout as the RCZ/R, good as I'm sure they are and for this reason I think dumbing down the model range is massively missing the point... :eusa-think:

Applying the same logic they should pull out of Motorsport to protect their core market, not like they've had any big achievements there either recently... *sarcasm alert - Pike's Peak anyone?!* and it all costs a lot of money so let's not do it... Sure there's no point going bust, but staying bland is not how to win new customers, they need fun, sexy stuff as well as mainstream... I think Top Gear summed it up well in their look over Peugeot history recently, which while it missed some great cars 405 SRi, 306 GTI6, 406 Coupe, RCZ... did highlight the rather bland current range

As TG points out, not the first time Pug have completely changed direction!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2if9gy

 

[Anonymous]

Hey would any one ever buy a Pug..other than the RCZ? I certainly wouldn't,and maybe they pushed the boat out too far with it... It never had the Audi badge so up against it from beginning im afraid,although in the mk2 case was a real challenger when they introduced black rails and rid it of that hellish Pug mouth grille.It will remain a classic in my eyes. :beer:

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I was thinking about the 504 in the 80s - now that was a beast :clap:

Don't know where I got 1007 from :eusa-think:


Anyway, the RCZ is like the VX220 by Vauxhall.
Absolute corker of a car and wee'd all over Lotus'.

Don't see many of those around now, although in 2003 loads.
At the time, we couldn't understand the logic and it seemed to be the car that got many back in to the Vauxhall fold.

Would I buy another Peugeot.......No, not with their current offerings.
As has already been said, they need to protect their core market / products.

:thumbup:

 

[neilgsxr69]

I suppose this is out of the question then! :wtf:

 

[howardf]

I,m just glad that I had a chance to get one as my company car before its dropped.
I can understand Peugeot dropping it .... How can you develop / tweak the rcz beyond the mk2? (Other than god forbid stop start or hybrid)

 

[Anonymous]

A long-established highly respected car manufacturer with a history of motorsport success decides to drop its halo cars in favour of antiseptic snooze-inducing 'more profitable' mass market offerings. Thankfully, Honda has seen the error of its ways since the demise of the Type R offerings and the NSX, and after a decade of blue-rinse rubbish they are both back. M. Picat, is this where you want Peugeot to go too?
I bought an RCZ for many reasons, including Onyx and the LMP1 programme (irrational I know, but that's how us blokes are)-in 10 years time, when this current board has been swept away, the press will be full of 'Peugeot reinvents RCZ' headlines.
I don't want German efficiency, British rally copies or Japanese 'kaizen'- I want French chic, which the RCZ has in bundles.
Surprised some on here are so accepting of this decision-I am utterly dismayed, because the replacement for my Z in a few years time will probably be a Civic R, or whatever.

 

[Anonymous]

(Other than god forbid stop start or hybrid)

Stop / Start is great :thumbup:

Went from the HDi to my current 2.0ltr Diesel Car with Stop / Start and the Tax now is only £20 a year.
Best thing is that there is a button on the dashboard that you press and it switches off Stop / Start. :clap:
I still only pay £20 a year. :dance:

 

[the big blue]

Hi' all :greetings-wavingblue:

..im still here much like the RCZ at the moment I guess ! I don't necessarily agree with the direction of Peugeot as a motor manufacturer BUT i understand it, and to understand it is to understand business and not fall into the mindset of former British Car manufacturers who had little understanding of business OR building cars that the masses generally wanted. It's easy to be nostalgic when one isn't share holder in a company, the point is companies' exist to make money and by money they actually mean "profit". If a niche doesn't generate profit to a specific degree then what are considered harsh business decisions are made. How long will the GT86 and/or BRZ continue I wonder?? :eusa-think:

WE may love our Z's but do the masses like them enough to buy into the niche they occupy as opposed to other new vehicles of a similar cost as austerity bites deeper. Even OUR enthusiastic lust recognises 'cost' and there have been numerous threads as to the cost of the RCZ-R over the 200 GT. The fact that Peugeot out sources the manufacture of Z's to Magna Steyr and uses a generic engine was probably a deciding factor as this to a certain extent takes away the ability to control unit cost when things are not done in-house and due to economies of scale.

The Z' assisted Peugeot as a company to lift its name and rejuvenate itself back out there and now that it has it's wishing to enter the next phase of its business plan and at the same time pay its respect to the Z' as it prepares to say good bye and Thank You by way of a special edition ,,,,,did I read in another post 'GT LINE' badging ?? !

.the big blue (..sat with a candle virgil in memory of a concept car that came to life in the image that it was conceived)

 

[RCZ1]

I personally think it's a sad day that the RCZ will ceased to be made in the future. After all the RCZ brought many customers to Peugeot that in all probability would never have considered buying a Peugeot before. Ok so they aren't sold in large numbers but that makes them exclusive and I think the majority of us like that.

I do believe the RCZ has done a lot for Peugeot. In the same way the TT revigorated Audi who were very much in the doldrums before the TT was born. The RCZ got people interested in Peugeot again. It's style and flair opposed to same old same old German design that we see day in day out on the roads of the UK. Yes you will always get those badge snobs who can't see past anything German (I know a few of those) but I don't like to follow the crowd. I'm an individual and like things which are different and not the "norm". The RCZ fills that spot for me and the car will always always have a special place in my heart. Yes I did buy it with my heart and yes it was the best decision I made.

I do hope in time that Peugeot will recreate the RCZ and make it even even better than it is now. I look forward to that day ......!

 

[Anonymous]

(Other than god forbid stop start or hybrid)

Stop / Start is great :thumbup:

Went from the HDi to my current 2.0ltr Diesel Car with Stop / Start and the Tax now is only £20 a year.
Best thing is that there is a button on the dashboard that you press and it switches off Stop / Start. :clap:
I still only pay £20 a year. :dance:

Wish the stop/start affected my road tax to such an extent, I'm paying £290 a year for mine! That said, like you, I have the option to switch it off. I have also discovered a "last settings" option from start up so that I now have it off permanently from the offset. I guess this rather defeats the purpose but as it doesn't actually affect my road tax premiums I'll be damned if it's getting used.