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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/drivin ... 059168.ece
Peugeot hasn’t made an interesting car since the release of the 205 GTI more than 25 years ago, but that’s about to change. In much the same way that Audi’s original TT put some fizz into the workaday A3, Peugeot’s RCZ sports coupé is based on the yawn-a-minute 308 hatchback, but all dullness has been surgically removed.
Pedestrians freeze on zebra crossings, oncoming traffic veers off course and policemen fumble for their camera phones. The RCZ looks like nothing else on the road and, for once, for Peugeot, we mean that in a good way.
The double-domed roof and furrowed rear glass are the stuff of futuristic show cars but they’re also highly aerodynamic in the real world. And that’s the RCZ in a nutshell: immensely stylish but genuinely efficient.
Equipped with a modest 1.6-litre petrol engine, the RCZ adds a turbocharger to the mix, mustering 200bhp in the process; a low kerb weight and dramatic, if artificial, exhaust note ensure that it still feels and sounds brisk.
Are its nifty looks deceptive? Tackle the sorts of twist and turn that the RCZ looks born for and you come out the other end a little bit unsure. Good brakes and minimised body roll mean it’s always composed and responsive, but the sense that it lacks power makes it feel like your average warm hatch, not the shoestring supercar the RCZ is dressed up to be. To be fair, the 1.6 has clearly compromised performance for efficiency — it will return nearly 40mpg and has CO2 emissions of 159g/km. When the RCZ reaches the UK it will also be available with a less powerful 156bhp turbocharged petrol unit and a 163bhp diesel.
Style is the principal selling point. The RCZ is being marketed as a car that the customer can and should personalise in the showroom, with a huge number of dubious, if not daft, options such as colour-coordinated racing stripes, carbon fibre roof, boy-racer wheels and bits of body trim.
These costly additions are even less attractive when you consider the price. The basic 156bhp RCZ will set you back £20,450; the price rises to £25,050 for the THP 200 GT, which comes with larger wheels, leather seats and some electric gizmos. When you consider that it costs as much as the equivalent Audi TT and more than the Volkswagen Scirocco, the RCZ looks pricy.
Hopefully for Peugeot the sheer visual impact will be enough to attract buyers. The RCZ is an entertaining, if not class-leading, drive, but the way it can turn heads with the ease of a bona fide Italian supercar is going to count for a lot.
Peugeot RCZ THP 200 GT £25,050
Engine 1598cc, 4 cylinders, turbo
Power 200bhp @ 5500 rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Acceleration 0-62mph: 7.6sec
Top speed 146mph
Fuel / CO2 39.8mpg / 159g/km
Price £25,050
Verdict Style with substance, but at a price
On sale May
THE RIVALS
Audi TT 2.0T FSI £26,245
For Superb handling; peerless quality
Against Not practical; pricy options
Volkswagen Scirocco GT 2.0 TSI £23,540
For Stunning looks; useful rear seats
Against It’s a Golf in a dress
Peugeot hasn’t made an interesting car since the release of the 205 GTI more than 25 years ago, but that’s about to change. In much the same way that Audi’s original TT put some fizz into the workaday A3, Peugeot’s RCZ sports coupé is based on the yawn-a-minute 308 hatchback, but all dullness has been surgically removed.
Pedestrians freeze on zebra crossings, oncoming traffic veers off course and policemen fumble for their camera phones. The RCZ looks like nothing else on the road and, for once, for Peugeot, we mean that in a good way.
The double-domed roof and furrowed rear glass are the stuff of futuristic show cars but they’re also highly aerodynamic in the real world. And that’s the RCZ in a nutshell: immensely stylish but genuinely efficient.
Equipped with a modest 1.6-litre petrol engine, the RCZ adds a turbocharger to the mix, mustering 200bhp in the process; a low kerb weight and dramatic, if artificial, exhaust note ensure that it still feels and sounds brisk.
Are its nifty looks deceptive? Tackle the sorts of twist and turn that the RCZ looks born for and you come out the other end a little bit unsure. Good brakes and minimised body roll mean it’s always composed and responsive, but the sense that it lacks power makes it feel like your average warm hatch, not the shoestring supercar the RCZ is dressed up to be. To be fair, the 1.6 has clearly compromised performance for efficiency — it will return nearly 40mpg and has CO2 emissions of 159g/km. When the RCZ reaches the UK it will also be available with a less powerful 156bhp turbocharged petrol unit and a 163bhp diesel.
Style is the principal selling point. The RCZ is being marketed as a car that the customer can and should personalise in the showroom, with a huge number of dubious, if not daft, options such as colour-coordinated racing stripes, carbon fibre roof, boy-racer wheels and bits of body trim.
These costly additions are even less attractive when you consider the price. The basic 156bhp RCZ will set you back £20,450; the price rises to £25,050 for the THP 200 GT, which comes with larger wheels, leather seats and some electric gizmos. When you consider that it costs as much as the equivalent Audi TT and more than the Volkswagen Scirocco, the RCZ looks pricy.
Hopefully for Peugeot the sheer visual impact will be enough to attract buyers. The RCZ is an entertaining, if not class-leading, drive, but the way it can turn heads with the ease of a bona fide Italian supercar is going to count for a lot.
Peugeot RCZ THP 200 GT £25,050
Engine 1598cc, 4 cylinders, turbo
Power 200bhp @ 5500 rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Acceleration 0-62mph: 7.6sec
Top speed 146mph
Fuel / CO2 39.8mpg / 159g/km
Price £25,050
Verdict Style with substance, but at a price
On sale May
THE RIVALS
Audi TT 2.0T FSI £26,245
For Superb handling; peerless quality
Against Not practical; pricy options
Volkswagen Scirocco GT 2.0 TSI £23,540
For Stunning looks; useful rear seats
Against It’s a Golf in a dress