THE RCZ GT I had on test looked lovely. It even appeared quite sexy from some angles. And guess what? It drove like it looked. It had grip, it was as sharp as an arrow and it was fun.
Basically, it seems that Peugeot has followed in the footsteps of the Audi TT. You can’t blame the French company for doing so, after all the TT is still a great looking car after all these years. I guess the RCZ injects a bit of insanity into the family/executive oriented image of the Peugeot line-up, and perhaps it is intended to evoke memories of the gloriously insane 205 GTI days?
The front of the car is good looking, but the rear is really where it’s at – the car is genuinely attractive and even has a pop-up spoiler that can be controlled by pressing a button on the centre console. I liked the spoiler so much that I kept it up. It made the car look mean and more serious.
Bizarrely, the RCZ GT gained as much attention as the Aston Martin I had on test the week before. Madness, I know, but people, I think, are still trying to work out what it is. The TT influence is obviously there but I sense there are hints of the Nissan 370Z too – and that confuses folk at first glance.
The colour scheme of my test car made the RCZ look great; amber red with black integral leather trim. It was really like adding lip gloss and eye liner to an already very alluring woman. It worked for me and it seemed, judging by all those turning heads, everyone else.
The RCZ 200bhp model I had on test had loads of kit including electric and heated seats, front parking sensors, follow-me-home lighting and even fat 19” alloy wheels. Better still, it was capable of 146mph with a 0-62mph sprint of just 7.6 seconds. Yet, driven sensibly, the car can be very economical – returning around 40mpg. So, in my opinion, if you’re in the mood for a fun and flighty motor, which won’t cost you the earth to run, the RCZ GT might be just the car you’re looking for.
PROS ‘N’ CONS
- Looks √
- Handling √
- Kit √
- Fun √
- Cramped cabin X
FACTS
- Engine: 1598cc four cylinder 16 valve petrol
- Transmission: Six-speed manual
- Power: 200bhp @ 5500rpm
- Torque: 275Nm @ 1770rpm
- Max speed: 146 mph
- 0-62 mph: 7.6 seconds
- Combined mpg: 40.9
- CO2: 159 g/km
- Price: £ 25,050 on the road.
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