The Peugeot RCZ – Emotion Refined

 

Have you ever stared out of your car in a traffic jam, looking at others in their vehicles, wondering what kind of life these fellow motorist have? Inadvertently, your eyes shift downwards, at the steering wheel you’re gripping and wonder about yourself. Where are you today? Did the day pass with your boss screaming at you for some work not finished? Did a customer condemned you to the pits of hell for failing to meet their expectations? Do you have a pile of work waiting for you at home and your wife nagging its been forever since the last time you took her somewhere.

 

Small wonder why we just desensitize ourselves from all the negativity of life …. when was the last time you truly felt alive, experiencing the full splendor of emotion instead of the dull, lifeless zombie of society that you are now? That life is nothing more than you being on auto-pilot … going through the motions of what is expected of you from society. Want to get out of this negative spiral but don’t know how? Have some money but no time to enjoy it?

 

Fret no more … for there exists an item of great power that promises to grant you the rigors of youth 10 years younger (if you don’t get a heart attack first), the speed and agility of getting to where you want to go fast (so long as you can master the skills to control this beast), the raw power of a Lion (so long as you don’t get bitten by it first) and ultimately, ignite your emotion (in a good way, of course)

 

The Peugeot RCZ will not only awaken your senses, it would charge it to a point where nothing seems impossible. It’s a tool to drive you, excite you, promising endless ecstasy and joy. That emotional part of you, that defines being alive and living shall awaken and every single emotion is further refined and defined.

 

 

To evoke emotion, here are the ingredients:-

 

• A hot coupe design
• A 6 speed manual gearbox
• A 200bhp 275Nm Twin Scroll Turbo High Pressure (THP) with Direct Petrol Injection, 4 Inline Cylinder DOHC 16Valve, VVT engine
• A lowered platform
• A wider front and rear track

Stir them together, add a dash of pixie dust, a couple of magic beans and a roll of bat guano, you’ve got yourself a potent vehicle that will almost always ensure you’re always on a constant high when driving.

 

User warning: May have side effects of causing relationship breakups, dehydration and hunger due to physical body neglect and also known cases where user spends more time in the vehicle than in the house. May also induce heightened state of vanity

 

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DESIGN

 

Evoked emotion: Lust and Passion

 

 

Sexy does not seem to do no justice to the RCZ. Not many people may know this but the RCZ is the first Peugeot model that does not have numbers as its name. RCZ, as a matter of fact stands for Racing Concept Zagato. Zagato is an Italian automotive and design company that was founded in 1919 and has influenced the design and manufacturing of many prestigious marques such as Ferrari, Bentley, Maserati, Lamborghini and other models that will guarantee you a speeding ticket if you tap just 10% of its full potential. Joining that list of vehicles is the RCZ where Zagato done a fantastic job at creating such a mouth watering piece of work while staying true to the corporate image of Peugeot.

 

Measuring 4,287mm in length, 1,844.5mm in width and 1,359mm in height, it’s just 11.4mm longer, 68.6mm wider and 139mm shorter in height compared to a Peugeot 308.

 

 

On the front end, you’ll find projector dynamic Xenon headlamps with automatic height adjustment and headlamp washers. By dynamic, it swivels around corners as you turn the steering wheel at certain speeds (don’t try doing this while the car is static; I looked like an idiot turning the steering left and right in front of a wall while attracting security guards at the mall wondering if I was a car thief)

 

At the back, you’ll encounter a pair of stretched LED rear tail lamps.

 

 

The RCZ ‘s rear fog lights and reverse lights are found below the number plate instead of what’s usually at the left side of the tail lamps.

 

 

Up on the roof, you’ll find the Zagato inspired double bubble-shaped glass roof and rear windscreen, which would cost you a bomb to replace if you ever need to do as it is only manufactured from one source and no other company makes them.

 

 

I don’t know about you but seeing water running down the cleavage of the roof brings something else to mind. Mmmmm

 

 

 

The dynamic rear wing spoiler of the RCZ can be manually lifted and set at 2 different heights with the push of a button in the cabin. Do this often and you’d feel like a duck wagging its tail feathers. Also, remember to close it when going to car washes. There’s been reported cases of the spoiler coming off due to automatic washers.

 

 

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PERFORMANCE

 

Evoked emotion: Power and Aggression

 

 

 

go with its handsome looks, you get 2 engine variants. The automatic 6 speed adaptive gearbox with Tiptronic and Sport mode, sourced from Aisin Japan is paired to a 156hp @ 6,000rpm 1.6litre Twin Scroll Turbo High Pressure (THP) with Direct Petrol Injection, 4 Inline Cylinder DOHC 16Valve, VVT engine. The 6 speed manual on the other hand gets a similar 1.6litre THP engine but added with Variable Valve Lift. The

 

The manual’s output is 200bhp @ 5,500rpm with 275Nm torque @ 1,700rpm whereas the auto gets the same engine as the 308THP with 156bhp @6,000rpm and 240Nm torque @ 1,400rpm.

 

 

Lion at its natural habitat …. wait, aren’t Lions supposed to be from the Sahara? Lion getting lost in the woods

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Zero to hundred figures are 7.7seconds for the manual and 8.4seconds for the auto with a top speed of 240kph for the manual and 212kph for the auto …. which is pretty pointless as this car just begs to be seen strolling the streets. Still, it’s nice to know that if the mood takes you to enjoy speeds north of 200kph, it’s just a (pedal) step away.

 

 

 

 

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RIDE AND HANDLING

 

Evoked emotion: Enthrallment and exhilaration

 

 

 

The RCZ uses the same ‘Platform 2’ as the 308, 308CC and 3008. Unlike the rest, the RCZ features a lower anti-roll bar which makes it extremely stable at high speed corners and the chassis is remarkably agile and responsive. Point it where you want,m at almost whatever speed you desire and the car will go there. If things get a little too fast, the manual variant has up sized 340mm diameter disc brakes with 30mm thickness (vs 302mm diameter 26mm thickness on the auto).

 

 

Also, the ride height of the platform is lowered by 20mm and the center of gravity is 40mm closer to the ground compared to a 308. Additionally, the RCZ is wider by 30mm and at the front and rear tracks, the wheels are further apart by 54mm and 72mm respectively.

 

 

Nothing like a good shower after a good run

 

The one thing I do hope could be improved is the clutch point which is quite high. It would be great if the point is set lower and the gear stick throw to be shorter …. but that’s just my personal preference (good thing I still know how to drive a manual. I am proud to say despite not driving a manual for years, the engine didn’t stutter and die on me due to bad clutch balancing on my part …. which makes me believe this is a very usable daily driven car; jam or no jam in the streets of KL)

 

 

In my drive up to Genting for the photoshoot, I find the car chassis to be well balanced with a slight front-heavy tendency to oversteer if pushed too hard. The torque spread is very good …. in some corners, I could still pull reasonably well even in 4th or 5th gear so long as I keep the RPM between 3,000 to 5,000rpm. Anything above 5,500rpm, the car runs out of breath.

 

 

I also found the engine sound to be very sweet at revs above 4,000rpm …. it sounded so good that I kept wanting to push it to that level and more. Then, curious to see if other motorists outside the car can enjoy the audio drama I get inside, I wind down the windows only to discover the engine sounded pretty normal. It wasn’t till later that I discovered that the sound we hear inside the cabin is faked. The RCZ has an acoustic duct that channels artificial sporty sounds into the cabin. The sound is caused by a vibrating membrane that’s triggered by different rates of acceleration …. imagine hearing fake moans of pleasure from your partner in bed. Hey, to some, that’s arousing enough to keep doing it.

 

 

By having a manual transmission, engine breaking adds an element of control in slowing the car (other than brakes) and in one instance close to the peak, I experienced torque steer and the tail fished out a little. It certainly was not a planned drift but drift I did (somewhat) and lifting my foot off the gas pedal puts the car back in line easily and quickly. My passenger couldn’t even tell if it was deliberate or not as everything felt very much under control. As I have said, the suspension is rather stiff so body roll is almost non-existent … partly also due to the massive 19″ wheels. Try not to hit any kerbs though …. the gloss metal rims looks painful when scratched.

 

CABIN CONVENIENCE

 

Evoked emotion: Enjoyment and Elation

 

 

 

 

 

Inside, everything is beautifully crafted. Whatever that can be wrapped in leather is wrapped in leather. The glossy center fascia is almost identical to the 308THP and 408T except for a touch of class with the analogue clock seated between the center air conditioning vents. 308GT drivers would be very familiar with the 6 speed manual gearstick in the center.

 

 

 

Run your fingers across the smooth soft surface and curl your fingers around the thick, luxurious leather that’s wrapped around the steering wheel. The RCZ uses hydraulic power steering and it provides good steering feedback and typical of most continental car is accurate and responsive.

 

 

 

The RCZ gets glossy gun metal dials that are not found in any other Peugeot model. I can never get bored staring at those

 

 

 

The RCZ is essentially a 2+2 which means it does come with rear seats. However, you need to either be extremely small like a 8 year old kid (wait, 8 year old nowadays can be pretty tall  …. let’s say around 4″ in height) or extremely agile and nimble like an acrobat who likes tight places to fit in there.

 

 

 

Because claustrophobia would sound too generous to describe what it’s like back there. Rear legroom? Unless you’re a dwarf (and a thin one at that), you’d be acquainting with your thigh and knees very much ….. if you ever wanted to know what it probably feels like being an unborn child in a mother’s stomach, the RCZ’s rear bench may offer that experience for you.

 

 

Best to treat the car like a proper 2 seater. That way, you’ve got a lot more boot space:

 

 

Even without the rear seats folded, you still get 384litres of space. Not bad for a coupe.

 

 

With the rear seats folded down, the luggage space is increased to 760litres. Golf bags would fit without issues. To fold the seats, it can be conveniently done at the pull of the red lever found on the roof of the boot in the picture below:

 

 

Sadly, the glove compartment is also very typical Peugeot. Too small to fit items larger than an in car charger.

 

 

 

 

SAFETY

 

Evoked emotion: Relief and Gaiety

 

Being fast also means being safe. In this aspect, the RCZ offers the following:-

 

• Driver airbag
• Front passenger airbag with deactivation switch
• Driver and front passenger side airbags (total 4 airbags)
• Active Bonnet System (more on this below)
• ESP
• ABS
• EBD
• EBA
• ASR
• DSC
• Anti Theft Protection Alarm (Volumetric and Perimetric) – Yup, this Lion has a voice when molested
• Peugeot rolling code transponder immobilizer security

 

 

The RCZ is the only car in Malaysia’s Peugeot line-up that features an active bonnet system, a system that combines the use of small pyrotechnics that raises the front bonnet by 55mm to mitigate pedestrian injury in the event of an accident and to some degree minimize damage to the engine components.

 

Here’s a video of how it works (even though it’s meant for Citroen, it works on the same principle)

 

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SPECIFICATIONS

 

Exterior

• Dynamic Xenon headlamps with automatic height adjustment & headlamp washers
• Dynamic Rear Wing with 2 levels
• LED rear tail lamps
• Aluminum 19″ alloy rims Sortilege design (Onyx black variant for pearl white only)
• Sensor activated wipers
• Automatic electric folding mirrors
• Front & rear parking assistance
• Brilliant black bumper grille (for pearl white only)
• Pearl black side mirrors (for pearl white only)

 

Interior

• Automatic dual zone air conditioning system with active carbon/pollen filter
• Premium luxury Nappa leather seats & dashboard
• Memory electric driver seat and electric front passenger seat
• World in Peugeot Sound (MP3 CD Player) with Bluetooth & AUX connectivity
• 6 speaker with 240watts amplifier JBL Hi-Fi System
• On board computer with trip information, service indicator and warning light

 

 

So, at RM223,888 OTR with insurance, it’s significantly cheaper than the Audi TT which sells at RM355,000. It won’t out sprint the TT, but in terms of styling, the RCZ turns more heads due to its relative rarity on Malaysian roads. The RCZ is the true embodiment of Peugeot Motion and Emotion tagline …. I got all teary when I had to return it *sob*.

 

If I do get caught in a traffic jam in the RCZ, I’d probably be smiling the whole time … negative emotion while being stuck? Not in an RCZ.