7
REVIEW
Peugeot RCZ 2.0 HDi 2011 Review
Combining visual appeal with the tactile appeal of decent build quality and driving satisfaction.Peugeot RCZ 2.0 HDi
Road test
Road test
Price guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $54,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Metallic paint $800; Monaco Personalisation Pack $2700 (bi-xenon headlamps, JBL audio upgrade); 19-inch alloys $800
Crash rating: Untested, but donor 308 get 5 stars Euro NCAP
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 5.3L/100km combined cycle
CO2 emissions (g/km): 139?
Also consider: Audi TTBMW 123d coupeAudi TT 2.0 TDI quattro
It’s not hard to see why Peugeot’s RCZ has been ribbed as a 308 in Galliano lycra. Nor is it hard to see why this snappy little 2+2(ish) picked up a ‘Good Design’ gong at this year’s Australian International Design Awards.
Fortunately, there’s more to the RCZ than its beautiful silhouette and ‘double bubble’ roofline. Peugeot has succeeded in placing the RCZ well beyond the reach snide girlie-hairdresser remarks. It’s an affordable halo model combining visual appeal with the tactile appeal of decent build quality and driving satisfaction.
The cachet of the exterior continues indoors with touches like chrome bezels, the centre-mounted analogue clock and a proliferation of double-stitched hide trim. While it retains enough of the familiar aesthetic to make it identifiably Peugeot, it feels a cut above other fare from the French marque for build quality.
True, much of its DNA is derived from the 308... But there are mechanical differences lending substance to all that designer design. Austrian assembly and engineering outfit Magna Steyr has transformed its spring rates and damping to match those of the hard-arsed 308 GTi, not available in Australia. It’s also wider in the track front (54mm) and rear (72mm), and it squats 64mm lower. Handling and roadholding reflect this broader stance, lower centre of gravity and the oversized footwear that comes as part of its standard kit.
The RCZ buries its snout in corners with manageable FWD understeer, sitting nice and flat through turn-in and enjoying a bit of a poke on exit. The steering could do with a little more weight at speed, however, and it’s prone to agitation when the road surface roughs it up a bit.
There’s nothing overtly sporting about this powertrain but the 120kW 2.0-litre diesel works well with the chassis to deliver a bit of fun from a decent stretch of road. With help from its variable-geometry turbocharging, it’s pretty much lag free and fairly revvy for an oiler – enough to shunt its 1445kg mass from 0-100km/h in 8.2 seconds, on to a top speed of 220km/h
While its peak torque band is comparatively narrow – 2000-3000rpm – it retains most of its 340 Newtons for another 1000 revs. There’s plenty enough performance here for anyone who’d buy the oiler over its considerably faster (0.7 seconds to 100km/h) 147kW petrol stablemate for the same price. The performance advantage comes where diesels normally flex their muscles best, in rolling acceleration.
Any performance disadvantage is mitigated by palpably better fuel efficiency (5.3L/100km combined against 6.9) and lower CO2 emissions (139g/km compared to 159). A week in the Sydney metro area delivered low sevens – not bad against an official urban figure of 6.8.
Incidentally, the third version in the RCZ lineup comes with a weaker 115kW petrol engine and is a few points worse than the 147 on performance and economy. But that’s the price of the major advantage it offers over both others: it’s the only one you can get with an auto transmission.
Peugeot has been very clever in the way it’s served the RCZ up, in comfy and hard-man petrol versions and a diesel all at the same base price. It’s pity the oiler doesn’t come with a quick-shift auto or a DCT. That said, we found the six-speed manual a pleasure to use.
Indoors, the RCZ is a pleasure. It’s filled with classy touches to elevate it above common and garden Pugs – notably the double-stitched leather around the dash, console and door trims, the analogue clock, the pressed metal gauges and aluminium wheel thumb-rests and door sills. Plus it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position with seats that cup even large bodies like a big, gentle hand. That unique roofline isn’t only beautiful outside – it also helps ensure enough headroom for six-footers and beyond.
The back seats are standard 2+2 fare – littlies-only, and then at a pinch, given how vertical the backrests are. Legroom is near enough to zero to curtail the front-seat recline when you’re all the way back. There’s enough legroom up front for that not to be essential, but it’s still no Statesman.
Cockpit ergonomics are well up to scratch. The chunky, flat-bottomed tiller is a nice touch (literally and figuratively), and it offers all the height and reach adjustment most would need to ensure comfortable placement with a decent view of the instrument binnacle. The centre stack is busy but well laid out and easy to learn. Aircon et al is fine, both at the controls and the circular vents.
Standard kit is decent for $50K-plus. The front seats are electrically adjustable and heated, the air is dual-zone climate controlled. The retractable spoiler rises automatically at 85km/h, but a switch on the console allows you can get it up at Oxford and Chapel St speeds as well.
Outside are front and rear fog lights, rain-sensing wipers and auto headlights. While visibility is surprisingly good for a car of this ilk, parking beepers on all four corners are useful, particularly in protecting that long rear end. It’s helpful, too, that the heated folding wing mirrors dip to help with reversing, providing useful protection from wheel-mashing against kerbs in parallel parking – something one might find especially annoying with the optional 19-inch alloys (especially at $800 extra). Take them as a style thing only – the standard 18s loom large in this body, and they’d no doubt soften the ride a bit at negligible cost in handling.
On options, it’s not hard to push the RCZ’s base $54,990 over the $60K mark, but on the whole they’re attractively priced against competitors like Audi’s TT and BMW’s 123d. Our car’s ‘Monaco’ kit included a JBL audio upgrade and excellent bi-xenon lamps for $2700.
The boot offers a decent 384 litres of cargo space, expandable to 760 with the split-fold rear seat down (this is theoretical only, given it covers the volume between the folded seats and the ceiling). Despite the sizeable storage cubby beneath the floor, there’s no spare, just a blow-up kit with glue and a compressor. For little punctures, it’s a five-minute repair job that’s no sweat even in full hair and makeup, heels and nails. For a decent pop, forget it.
On safety, the RCZ hasn’t yet been through ANCAP or Euro NCAP crunch testing, but it would be odd if it didn’t inherit the donor 308’s five stars. It comes with the increasingly normal six airbags, and stability control and antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution.
The rear has baby-seat anchors, and the coupe-length doors gain extra T-bone resistance. In keeping with European demands, there’s active pop-up bonnet softening for hapless pedestrians.
The verdict? As a brand – and hence personal style – statement, the RCZ works. It’s strikingly beautiful with tactile appeal to match. It’s not a sports car in this form but can be bought to fit comfort, economy or sporting priorities for the same price. That price isn’t low, but up against its most obvious competitor, Audi’s $14K costlier TT 2.0 TDI, looks reasonable, even considered the Audi’s more sporty drivetrain.
For those less concerned with beauty, we’d contend the RCZ harder pressed against BMW’s plainer, more practical and dynamically better sorted 123d coupe, which commands a premium of only $3200. Mind you, once you start optioning up the BMW to match it, the RCZ can start looking reasonable again.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Share this article
Written byJeremy Bass
See all articlesOur team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe todaySell your car with Instant Offer™
Like trade-in but price is regularly higher
1. Get a free Instant Offer™ online in minutes2. An official local dealer will inspect your car3. Finalise the details and get paid the next business day
Get a free Instant Offer
Related articles
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Love every move.
Buy it. Sell it.Love it.
®Contact
Advertise with us
Local marketplaces
International marketplaces
Scan to download the carsales app
Want more info? Here’s our app landing page
App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo
are trademarks of Google LLC.