As the per the title I test drove a peugeot RCZ today, the 1.6L 156BHP version. Now on paper the RCZ is a good prospect, good price, reasonable performance, coupe styling, practicality and exclusivity. However the fact it was a Peugeot could never really be forgotten.
Now personally I think the RCZ looks great but the 308 style front looks slightly wrong but the car itself does attract a lot of attention be it good or bad, well who knows.
The car I drove was a GT spec with all the trimmings, so electric seats, heated seats, full leather, cruise control, bluetooth, xenons etc. So fairly well kitted out. The first thing the sales rep showed me was the boot space, which was rather epic, around 300 litres or so but vary surprising for this type of car, a 2+2 coupe is never usually this practical but saying that the rear seats were there for just comedy value, more useful for placing shopping than people I would imagine.
Now whilst the car sits very low, you never really feel low, even with the seat adjusted to its lowest point. The interior controls feel well made and good enough even to rival German quality. The clutch however lacks a lot of feel, the travel and weight is ridiculous, even longer than that of my Polo (which is a supermini by class). The RCZ clutch is so light and spongy you never really know where abouts you are with it which contrast greatly with all the other "sports cars" I had driven before. Now to the gear changes, well they are silly, silly because you can get up to 70MPH in 2nd and there is no need ever to change gear. Which in my book, kinda defeats the point of a sports coupe somewhat and then the engine noise, its crap. Even though Peugeot has used a similar thing to mazda "aural induction system" to direct engine noise into the cabin, it still sounds crude. It never sounds or feels urgent and sloppy would be the best word to describe it.
The speed of the car is ok, not bad but for a 1400KG coupe 156BHP was alittle lacking, they do offer a 200BHP version but my local dealer didn't have one at the time. It goes well enough but you never really feel it. On paper it is as quick as the 2.0L MX5 Sport Tech but feels about 40% slower all the time and there is never any turbo sound either.
The steering is good, being a hydraulic system it communicates well but doesn't respond quickly enough and gliding over bumps is not enjoyable thanks to the massive 19" wheels and firm suspension.
The brakes whilst large don't provide much feedback as the brake pedal felt spongy and loose.
Overall I came away from the RCZ disappointed as a lot of reviews deem the car "a return to form" for Peugeot, whilst yes it is more exciting than a 407 diesel it is trounced by nearly every competitor and isn't even much cheaper. nothing about the car felt tight or sporty, it just felt loose and very much style over substance.
