When I step out of a coupe I want to do so wearing a big silly grin on my face. The Peugeot RCZ went one step further!
If the Paris Motor Show - where 64 new cars were launched in the Autumn - was the day the industry fought back against the recession, then the release of the RZC earlier in the year was the day Peugeot stuck two fingers up at collapsing sales and slumped profits.
The French giant, once famed for making fantastic driver's cars, have been criticised in recent years for churning out one yawn-a-minute car (308) after another (307). No longer!
If the Paris Motor Show - where 64 new cars were launched in the Autumn - was the day the industry fought back against the recession, then the release of the RZC earlier in the year was the day Peugeot stuck two fingers up at collapsing sales and slumped profits.
The French giant, once famed for making fantastic driver's cars, have been criticised in recent years for churning out one yawn-a-minute car (308) after another (307). No longer!
With its swooping lines, distinctive 'double bubble' roof and bold detailing, the French machine is, in my opinion, the best looking new car of 2010. Peugeot has finally returned to the halcyon days of the 205 GTI.
So there we have it, the RCZ made me smile before I even got in it. But will I still be smiling when I get out of it, or are its nifty looks deceptive? Let's fund out.
I tested the 200bhp 2.0 petrol variant and found it to be very stable on the motorway and on the B-roads alike. Good brakes and minimised body roll mean it's always composed and responsive, while the car accelerates briskly and keenly, even if the throttle response from the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine can at times be a little abrupt.
The car does perhaps look sportier than it actually is, but those of you who like to look at the 'green' figures as well as just the 0-62 (which is 7.6 seconds incidentally) will be pleased to know it returns nearly 40mpg and has CO2 emissions of 159g/km.
As well as the flagship petrol engine I am driving (£25,050) the range starts with the petrol-powered RCZ 156 THP engine, a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. This costs £20,450, travels from 0-62mph in 8.0 seconds and returns 42.1mpg.
Buyers who prefer diesel power can have their RCZ with a 2.0-litre, 161bhp engine capable of returning 53.2mpg and emitting 139g/km of CO2.
Am I still smiling? Yes, of course I am.
So the Peugeot RCZ is perfect? Unfortunately, not quite! While the designers may have stuck to fingers up at the global recession they unfortunately kept them raised for the UK market.
The problem being that all Peugeots start off as 'southpaws' and once again, even in a car as beautifully crafted as the RCZ, the transfer to right-hand drive is not as pleasing as it would be if it was done by a German.
For example, if you are wearing slightly wide shoes you will soon notice that there is not quite enough room to slide your foot off to the left hand side of the clutch after changing gear, instead you have to do an annoying lift and place movement.
And if you find that annoying then wait until you try and figure out a way to completely turn the radio off. I'd press the button and it would go quiet only to spring back to life whenever a radio traffic bulletin was broadcast. Try as I might to switch the announcements off, I couldn't!
But these are just grumbles and I'd love the RCZ even if I had to drive it wearing ballet shoes and listen to what's happening on the roads in Stoke while zooming through Snowdonia. It just looks fantastic!
By Richard Jones
So there we have it, the RCZ made me smile before I even got in it. But will I still be smiling when I get out of it, or are its nifty looks deceptive? Let's fund out.
I tested the 200bhp 2.0 petrol variant and found it to be very stable on the motorway and on the B-roads alike. Good brakes and minimised body roll mean it's always composed and responsive, while the car accelerates briskly and keenly, even if the throttle response from the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine can at times be a little abrupt.
The car does perhaps look sportier than it actually is, but those of you who like to look at the 'green' figures as well as just the 0-62 (which is 7.6 seconds incidentally) will be pleased to know it returns nearly 40mpg and has CO2 emissions of 159g/km.
As well as the flagship petrol engine I am driving (£25,050) the range starts with the petrol-powered RCZ 156 THP engine, a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. This costs £20,450, travels from 0-62mph in 8.0 seconds and returns 42.1mpg.
Buyers who prefer diesel power can have their RCZ with a 2.0-litre, 161bhp engine capable of returning 53.2mpg and emitting 139g/km of CO2.
Am I still smiling? Yes, of course I am.
So the Peugeot RCZ is perfect? Unfortunately, not quite! While the designers may have stuck to fingers up at the global recession they unfortunately kept them raised for the UK market.
The problem being that all Peugeots start off as 'southpaws' and once again, even in a car as beautifully crafted as the RCZ, the transfer to right-hand drive is not as pleasing as it would be if it was done by a German.
For example, if you are wearing slightly wide shoes you will soon notice that there is not quite enough room to slide your foot off to the left hand side of the clutch after changing gear, instead you have to do an annoying lift and place movement.
And if you find that annoying then wait until you try and figure out a way to completely turn the radio off. I'd press the button and it would go quiet only to spring back to life whenever a radio traffic bulletin was broadcast. Try as I might to switch the announcements off, I couldn't!
But these are just grumbles and I'd love the RCZ even if I had to drive it wearing ballet shoes and listen to what's happening on the roads in Stoke while zooming through Snowdonia. It just looks fantastic!
By Richard Jones
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