Peugeot RCZ Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Peugeot RCZ
Prices: £19,900-£24,500 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 15-17 [est]
Emissions: 139-165g/km
Performance: [1.6 THP 200] 0-60mph 7.6s / Max Speed 135mph [est]
Fuel Consumption: [2.0 HDi] (combined) 52.3mpg
Safety: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / stability control [est]
Dimensions: Length/Width/Heightmm 4150/1850/1350 [est]

LION DANCER

Our Rating: 7.1 / 10

Peugeot is showing us its sporty side again but was the RCZ coupe worth the wait? Steve Walker reports.

The 205 GTi was a highpoint of Peugeot’s standing as a producer of sporting cars but since the early 90s, it’s fair to say that things have gone awry. With a few notable exceptions including hot versions of the 306 and 106, this manufacturer’s attempts at recapturing the magic haven’t quite hit the mark. In more recent times, it has appeared that Peugeot was content to let its reputation for building exciting driver’s cars slide into history. Little did we know that it was plotting a spectacular comeback with the RCZ coupe.

In recent times, there were certainly inklings that Peugeot was angling for a return to the sporting car limelight. In 2007, it showed the 308 RCZ concept car at the Frankfurt Motorshow and entered the Le Mans 24hr race with the stunning 908 HDi FAP. In 2009, that racecar came first and second at Le Mans, squeezing Audi into third place. This was the first time Peugeot had triumphed in the prestigious event since 1993, the year the 205 GTi went out of production.

With Peugeot back in the top echelon of motorsport, the timing was right for a road car that could capitalise and the hope is that the production version of the RCZ is it. Things have a habit of coming full circle and just as Audi provided the main competition for Peugeot at the 2009 Le Mans 24-hour, it’s the German manufacturer’s TT that the RCZ coupe is gunning for in the race for sales.

Providing the power for the RCZ is a set of familiar Peugeot engines. The petrol range is based around the 1.6-litre turbocharged unit that was developed in partnership with BMW. Versions of this engine can also be found in the 207 GTi and sporty versions of the 308 but the 200bhp unit in the RCZ is also shared with the fiery MINI John Cooper Works models. It can get the RCZ through 62mph in a respectable 7.6s with the aid of its twin-scroll turbocharger and is designed to produce a smooth flow of power from low in the rev-range.

The lesser petrol engine is a 156bhp version of this same unit which can be ordered with a six-speed sequential automatic gearbox as well as the standard six-speed manual. This being Peugeot, there was always going to be a diesel too and it’s the 2.0-litre HDi FAP that’s used across the marque’s larger models. Here there’s 163bhp and a healthy 340Nm of torque.

Beneath the RCZ’s curvy bodywork are the underpinnings of the 308 family hatchback. That’s a fact that might well set alarm bells ringing with enthusiastic drivers as the chubby 308 isn’t the last word in pace or dexterity. The same McPherson strut front suspension and rear torsen beam set-up is used but, thankfully, Peugeot has carried out extensive modifications with the aim of honing the RCZ’s responses.

The coupe’s track is 54mm wider than the hatchback at the front and 72mm wider at the rear, while ride height is dropped by 20mm, lowering the centre of gravity. The steering uses a hydraulic system and stopping is taken care of by ventilated disc brakes of 302mm diameter at the front and 290mm at the rear. The range-topping 200bhp models get an upgrade to 340mm discs.

There’s no radical departure from Peugeot’s tried and tested styling themes on the RCZ but equally, there’s no denying it’s a striking thing to look at. The nose is very Peugeot with the huge light clusters and air-intake then the deep bonnet contours flowing back to the A-pillars. The domed roofline has more than a hint of Audi TT about it and the aluminium foot arches provide a two tone effect.

The RCZ is at its most unorthodox around the back where the proportions of the car aren’t helped by an extended rear deck that hints at an eventual folding hard-top version. More impressive are the powerful haunches over the rear wheels and the trademark "double bubble" roof which has a pair of bulges that proceed down the rear windscreen.

We’re told that the RCZ is more than just a pretty face and that it can contribute some practicality a