Stand out!
That’s what it was printed on the white Peugeot RCZ I drove out of the dealer’s parking. Obviously, if they hadn’t written that, it would’ve been the same, because you just can’t miss the chameleon white car. The more so after putting my foot down and finding out what the 2l, 163hp diesel engine can do.
The exterior
The design of this Peugeot is great! Although at first I found it a bit imbalanced, I was wrong: the car looks amazing and it surely catches ones eye. I saw the car live for the first time when it was just a concept, at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2009, and I felt sorry at the time, thinking that there would be nothing left of the concept until the end product would be revealed (because I hadn’t yet seen a concept that would keep its design until the series car was produces). Fortunately, the RCZ kept its shapes since the concept stage, and a very cool car came out, with smooth, particular lines, as you can see in the pictures.
The coolest thing about it is the roof. It has a great shape (the first time I saw the car I thought it was a cabriolet).
The interior
The interior took me by surprise. I was expecting to see more cheap plastic, to be honest. This a wrong perspective on the Peugeot brand, because, if I come to think of it, the 307 I had 7 years ago did not have a cheap interior at all. Anyway, I didn’t expect to find a small, sports car steering wheel, leather seats sewn with white thread, sporty pedals – a proper sports car! The pictures are proof.
The ride
Driving this car is amazing! Like I said before, the 2L, HDI, 163hp engine is really something. You can go up to 140-150km/h in the fourth gear if you need to and the car won’t even flinch. It just eats up the road like it’s the end of the world.
Moreover, when I saw what the car can take, I thought about testing it on less crowded roads, so I took it on a deserted road through Dobrogea’s Canyon, in Romania. Although there was no tarmac, the car didn’t get scratched or hit any bump. It simply let itself be driven (carefully), because even if it has a crazy driver, it’ll play along.
Still, it’s natural environment is the tarmac. The road in Dobrogea are straight, good and empty, all for the RCZ to enjoy, so that’s what it did.
The medium consumption is reasonable, about 8-9l/100km (and don’t forget that I’m quite the aggressive driver, I change gears when the engine is really revved up, especially on a car that can take it). I was expecting it to eat more fuel, but the car is small and light enough as not to burn to much diesel. You can barely feel your wallet getting lighter when you hit the gas station.
I couldn’t wait to see how it can handle a bumpy road and I got to see that, because some road in Dobrogea, as good a tarmac as they may have, have bigger bumps that the desert dunes. The car didn’t let me down: it’s perfectly composed on the road and not even once did I have the feeling that I was losing control.
The price
Everything I described comes at a price, though: 29457 Euros (about $42535) for the basic version I told you about. You have to add to that the price for other options such as: 19 inches rims, the leather package, etc. It’s quite a lot of cash for a car that can only fit 3 persons (the back seat is not exactly comfortable and it’s more for… horizontal use).
The RCZ is a ton of fun! It’s good for the city and it’s good for taking trips. It’s a rare car, so it’s a head-turner. In the end, it’s a toy: expensive, but useful, and, above all, FUN. If you have the money, go for it! The feeling it gives you are more precious that what other cars can offer you. Of all the sporty cars I’ve driven, the only one I’d buy is the Mini Cooper S, which is almost as expensive.
Shortly:
What we liked:
– the great design
– the poweeerrrr!
– the interior.
What we didn’t like:
– the one thing I didn’t like is the lack of personality of the nose, which looks a lot like the 308. It’s such a shame.
