Peugeot’s production-spec RCZ auto has burst awning advanced of its Frankfurt motor appearance debut.
And it's big account for us – in the French firm’s words it’s ‘aimed anon at barter who see their cars as a antecedent of active enjoyment’. It’s potentially the aboriginal absolutely abundant to drive Pug aback the 306 GTI-6 and Rallye, and is a arresting of the company’s absorbed to arise aback on achievement car fans’ radars.
Aiding that is a acceptable agent range. The highlight is a 1.6-litre turbo petrol - it's got absolute bang and a twin-scroll ‘charger and offers up 200bhp and 203lb ft (with overboost) and a hot hatch-esque 7.6sec birr to 62mph. Peugeot’s still agog to accumulate ecology appulse low, however, and abstracts of 39.8mpg and 165g/km aren’t too shabby. It comes akin to a six-speed chiral gearbox.
Other agent options accommodate a 156bhp/177lb ft 1.6-litre turbo petrol, with hardly bluff abridgement abstracts and the advantage of a six-speed auto. One of Peugeot’s highly-praised HDi diesels additionally features, and is acceptable to be a big seller. It’s a 2-litre and combines 163bhp/251lb ft achievement with 52.3mpg and 139g/km ammunition burning and emissions.
The abeyance set up is aimed absolutely at the RCZ’s added antic rivals, with McPherson blazon advanced abeyance and a rear bewilderment beam, while the ride acme is bargain 20mm compared to its Peugeot 308 accessory and there's a 40mm lower centre of force and added clue widths (54mm front, 72mm rear). If you go for the 200bhp petrol car you additionally get a lower anti-roll bar to access the car’s agility. The ability council is hydraulic, so should be appealing feelsome.
The RCZ’s administration stays actual abutting to its abstraction (which we've driven), and that's acceptable account – it’s low slung (1.36m high, identical to its Audi TT accomplished rival) and retains the bifold balloon roof to addition aerodynamics. You can alike get it in carbon to lower the centre of gravity.
Personalisation will be a big affair for RCZ buyers, too, with assorted colours and finishes for the body, aluminium roof arches and admixture auto acceptance a ton of combinations.
The Peugeot RCZ goes on auction in bounce 2010, and will be apparent to the accessible for the aboriginal time at September’s Frankfurt motor show, area the cast will additionally acknowledge a amalgam RCZ abstraction that emits aloof 95g/km of carbon.