18 August 2009 - 00:00
Peugeot gets the hump
See more pictures of the Peugeot RCZ
Your eyes do not deceive you. This is a Peugeot and it is exciting.
This is the Peugeot RCZ, the production version of the Audi TT-rivalling concept we saw a couple of summers ago. But now it is real and reaching a road near you early next year.
Not a bad looking thing, is it? Most excellently, the ‘double bubble’ roof of the concept has remained – Peugeot says it improves aero flow over the top of the car – along with those fat flared arches and aluminium roof strips.
Though based on 308 underpinnings, the RCZ is a two-door, 2+2 coupe with more focus on driving dynamics than anything in the current Peugeot range.
The ride height is 20mm lower than the 308, while the front and rear tracks have been widened by 54mm and 72mm respectively.
Peugeot says it has dropped its standard numeric naming convention for the RCZ because the car is so damn special. It’ll be built in ‘small volumes’ at Magna Steyr’s Austrian factory, so quality should be high.
If you’re expecting TTRS-matching pace from the RCZ, you’re being a bit ambitious. Three engines will be available at launch, with a 200bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine (a powered-up version of the unit in the Mini Cooper S) topping the range.
It’ll hustle the RCZ to 62mph in 7.6 seconds while returning 39.8mpg and under 165g/km of CO2. A detuned version of the same engine – developing 156bhp – and a 163bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel are also on the menu, the latter returning over 50mpg and just under 140g/km of CO2.
There’s a decent bit of bootspace, too – 384 litres, to be precise – and the rear seats (which Peugeot admits are strictly ‘occasional’) can be folded down to increase luggage capacity.
We’ll see the RCZ in the metal – and buttock-aping glass – at the Frankfurt motorshow, before it goes on sale in the UK next spring. Let’s hear your thoughts…
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the looks beat the TT
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Its striking to look at , but I think the engines available will limit it in terms of competing with the TT , which has all sorts of performance levels available, at a price obviously. Its also still a Peugeot, which has to go in the 'downside' catagory.
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Its striking to look at , but I think the engines available will limit it in terms of competing with the TT , which has all sorts of performance levels available, at a price obviously. Its also still a Peugeot, which has to go in the 'downside' catagory.
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39.8mph?? not very fast is it? ;) but that is good MPG for a 1.6 turbo. i just hope its not FWD like the rest of the peugeot range, that would render it usless.
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I want a convertible one!!!!
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Front looks alright but that back end.... Reminds me somehow of a Coxster...
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i'll take one, where do i sign my name
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@Mick_F It is FWD. There's absolutely no need to make a 200HP small car RWD.
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I think i know where peugeot get they're styling inspiration from, well the front end at least!! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Psychrolutes_phrictus.jpg/800px-Psychrolutes_phrictus.jpg Back end look ace though!!
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Come on it's a Peugeot...
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And again, supporting C4_4life's opinion, it is much more fun (and safer) to have the steering wheels power your car, especially if it is a short wheelbase one.
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By all means: it's a Peugeot. That means it will break down. A lot. I mostly know ex-Peugeot-drivers who have turned back to the safe havens of BMW, Audi or VW.
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It's a Peut with the Mini engine: it might not brake down all that easily, if they got the Mini gearbox too. Has it got locking diff? It's very pretty though.
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Good to see the double bubble is still there. A very fine looking car...though I do wonder how long it'll take to see one on the hard shoulder...
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Okay, so I guess I'm the only one who'd vote that the ugliest car of the year.
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It's a 308 with cosmetic surgery..... and that's a good thing for what reason? It sure as hell hasn't improved it any...
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Its a Peugeot so its not really going to be as good as it sounds, is it
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The shape is nice but it still has that goppingly awful front end..
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ohhhh my god!!! it's hideous!!!! crazy french trying to be as good as the tt....
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I don't know why most comments say it looks hideous - in my opinion it looks really quite pleasant - a step in the right direction (at last) for Peugeot.
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I don't know why most comments say it looks hideous - in my opinion it looks really quite pleasant - a step in the right direction (at last) for Peugeot.
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anyone else think the bubble roof is off a C3 pluriel
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peugeot are currently very underrated and its said there is no reason to buy one. but then top gear also says mercedes build quality is iffy. but look back 10-20 years and mercedes were the last word in car reliablility and peugeot was praised for its great diesels and fantastic handling chasis. mercedes is now upping its quality levels above lexus and i now hope peugeot will make good cars like the did in the 80's such as the 205, 305, 405 and the tank the 505. but one reason i could still think of buying a peugeot is that its not a hyundai at least a peugeot badge on a car has a bit more prestige than hyundai or kia
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Finally a Pug that actually looks nice, and I guess with that range it will be a match for the current VW Scirocco, not to the Audi...
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Looks like a dog dragging it's ass across a carpet.
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Looks like a dog dragging it's ass across a carpet.
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Looks like a dog dragging it's ass across a carpet.
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The TT is based on a Golf so no worries there. If only they put some proper engines in it. Give it a lovely buzzy V6.
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Looks pretty... cause it looks german!!!
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It's definitely not very attractive ( especially the huge front ) but at least it has presence... maybe Peugeot thought it be a good time to release the RCZ because they had just bagged the 09 LeMans title.
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woahhhh... the French have gone crazy yet again! But it STILL has the trademark Pug cheesey grin!!
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looks ok-ish but i dont like the double bubble roof. i prefer the audi tt anyday of the week
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Yaaaawwwwn. When somebody yawns in front of you you rerflexively yawn back and that's the effect Peugeot noses have on me. Ever since the dreadful 407 all Pugs have been yawning with mouths wide open. I can't help wondering what could have been so wrong with the real TT that woke Peugeot designers from their decade-long slumber just to rebadge it and build it badly. (because they will)
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Yep, I prefer the Audi TT any day of the week too mate. This RCZ doesn't do much for me... and it's still a Purgeot at the end of the day = don't buy! :-)
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It's got the Basking Shark face, so therefore it's ugly. End of.
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And sorry to post twice like this, but does it not look like a hard-top version of the 306 convertible. At least Audi have bothered to restyle the Golf to make it look like a different car (when in fact the Golf and TT are basically the same car).
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It's taken them long enough hasn't it. Very sleek but deserved more power, when I read the article I though the 1.6 turbo was going to be the slowest option, come on Peugeot you need a serious horsepower injection!
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I think I'd prefer the TT, because come on, Audi's have more class and prestige than a Peugot. Plus that STUPID smiley face grill does my head in..
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all, peugots are bad, when i walk past the showroom every day there seems to be a different peugot being pushed accross the road to the service area, becausse they are all c**p. and will someone please remove the stick that keeps that gahstly wide mouth open?
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its a tt hybrid with a rubbish badge
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Even my gran can tell Pugs suck. The other day we saw one and she asked 'what is that ugly car over there with the weird badge?' - 'It's a Peugeot gran, the badge is supposed to be a lion' - 'Is it? It looks like mickey mouse.' Then she made me swear I'd never buy one as long as she's alive.
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just like someone said higher ... its back reminds me of the Cayman .. but it`s a striking looking thing .. i actually like it
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Since Peugeot the new design style opened with the first 206,all the peugeot looks the same with the same front light design just put a picture of a 206,207,307,406,407 etc... They all look the same,its so boring and this "new" one make no innovation in peugeot styling at all Even I'm french they seriously need to hire a new head designer
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this is a cool car. but they need to put some real power in there....
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*~TGFan*~ commented on this article
18 August 2009
Yay Fist 2 Comment! and it looks like a 306...
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