Click here to view the embedded video.

 The absence of information about the origin of that acronym: RCZ, doesn’t provide for an informative introduction so my option is to put on a French accent and say, “Horse’s head” or “Arse’s head” depending on which Gallic land you’re from, or not. Renault’s derriere was shaken which, let’s face it didn’t say much for their design language. Peugeot’s rear for the arse’s head does slice through moulds as it’s as bold and brash as that acronym which, for the first time ever doesn’t have any zero. The bulbous behind does whiff, to me of Porsche Boxster with those tailights to further clarify cloning, and flared wings do incite aggression. A wave on the roof that flows through down to the rear windscreen looks and is expensive to manufacturer but IS beautiful. Peugeot have put a lot of effort into ze RCZ’s form although this dissipates towards the front with that gaping and gurning grille. It’s a shame as the car is touted as” … beginning of a new era in vehicles devoted to driving pleasure” so why not depart from corporate rubber stamped ID? Offsetting my rearview mirror slightly to avoid distraction of mesmerised motorists was a wise ploy as there were more stares at the back than the front which seems logical. Turning off a roundabout, I caught sight of one young lad’s face pressed against condensation soaked glass as both off us went our separate ways. Furthermore, I admit it was ego inflating to be in a Peugeot that WAS different – and to be noticed as well.

Inside is a comfortable place to be, with nappa leather covering seats that have airbags to cushion driver’s and passenger’s necks. A feeling of quality comes with stitching over the dashboard and even around faux chrome outlined dials centred with a tasteful clock, although that orange display from other Pugs tarnishes with a digital reading above the mantelpiece if you don’t read hands! Practicality and coupe aren’t always happy bedfellows although a red latch that you have to hunch over to pull, behind the folding “occasional rear seats” doubles space for a flat, wide area.  Our test car didn’t have an optional sat. nav. so my Tom Tom was plugged in but unclipped the casing around the 12V power supply when removed.  When it rained, which it inevitably did in November, the lack of guttering or distinct ridges in the roofline couldn’t funnel off rainwater so it dribbled depressingly onto the door insert when all I wanted was fresh air.

As stated at the beginning, Peugeot heralds the RCZ as a departure from the norm and a hopeful hark back to its glory days, such as with the legendary 205 in the 80s. I once had a 1.4 GR bought with a dodgy ‘big end’. A man from Blackpool was paid to replace the engine with an injected 1.4 cannibalised from a XS that catapulted it into second gear- with wheelspin!; that car felt right because it had an engine that suited its light, nimble body. Not the case with this heavy two litre diesel spread transversely over front axles with understeer apparent accelerating out of roundabouts; right body but wrong engine if you’re a performance driver. That diesel proved predictably frugal with at least 50 mpg without trying but the lighter 1.6 petrol turbo from BMW would provide an improvement in ride quality and reduce understeer. The other anomaly with this coupe is suspension that doesn’t cope with the UK’s roads as it simply hasn’t enough ‘give’ to absorb the bumps in time for the next one. It isn’t soft, quite the opposite with rear torsion beam and trailing arms being tauter than the front; my cousin’s partner who’s an engineer said that every Peugeot  he’s jacked up has had torsion beams-a cheap option. Hooke’s Law states that the force applied to a spring is proportional to its extension which may explain the problem as front and back suspension don’t act in harmony so the ride is rarely settled. Alarmingly, this is captured on film during a mid bend pothole which altered the composure of the ride- massively. A lighter diesel engine and advanced suspension are crucial if this is to become a serious contender to the Audi TT, even if  the Peugeot’s aluminium arches attempt to ape the original. In my view, that fancy curved rear screen could have been cost cutted for a more advanced rear multi-link set-up, like in a Ford Focus!

Like wearing a smart suit bought from Asda, you know that behind the well cut lining is cheaper underpinning and until Peugeot addresses this issue with the diesel version at least, it will never achieve the raison d’etre its manufacturer seeks. Superficially, it may have been one driver’s preoccupation with the bulbous bottom of the RCZ  that involved it in a rear end shunt on its way back to Coventry. Enough said.

Words, photos and film are copyright of Sotiris Vassiliou

January 2011

I am assuming the 4007 is more of an SUV than the stated “off-road capability”, however our £25,945 top-spec GT came with 20 inch gangster alloys and fake chrome sports exhaust that projects the wrong image. Despite this, a shroud of snow over Manchester allowed me to test that ‘capability’. Turning a dial from 2WD to 4WD enabled me to accelerate away from traffic lights with no wheel slip or spin as turning force (torque) is shared between both axles. Another click engages ‘lock’ which transfers 1.5 times more torque to the rear for acute inclines and there is a cross member across the engine bay to stiffen the body to reduce flex, thus supporting its off-roading pretensions.

On tarmac, the big Pug does not lumber in corners although steering and road holding do feel distant. It may be the fault of those inappropriate low profile tyres which were scuffed, I admit, on a concealed kerb to swipe one rear alloy. Those wide tyres do generate roadnoise, together with a new 2.2 HDI engine that is designed to operate on a 30% concentration of biodiesel fuel and evolved from the successful and continuing partnership, between Peugeot Citroen and Ford. This engine is the only option offered by Peugeot (Citroen offers an identically-priced diesel although with petrol variants) and offers a worthy compromise between 156bhp of power for accelerating and 285 lb/ft of torque for towing. Fuel consumption of above 30 is respectable but would reduce to the twenties when seven bottoms are seated.

Toggles are pulled to retract the child seats at the back and a lower tailgate that can support 200kgs, drops flat for easier loading, or an area to sit on when you change into your boots. A massive volume that managed to swallow a VW front door from my brother’s abused 3-door Polo, is created with all seats folded, but the rear wheel arches protrude significantly to narrow the width. The middle row of seats can also be slid back to increase legroom provided those child seats are unoccupied. Despite being a relatively tall vehicle of 171 centimetres, the tailgate opens at an acute angle thereby risking a clash with your head as you load. £1620 will install a multi-tasking screen that will show what is behind as reverse is engaged, with border lines to demarcate the size of the 4007, making it is easier to judge whether you can fit into that parking space. Of course, this novelty can also direct you, as it changes into Sat. Nav. mode which refused my input of postcodes. An information button to monitor mpg readings is hidden, misplaced behind the wiper stalk and door mirror adjustment and window buttons are not lit up, something I also noted on the Mazda CX-7. Also, I could not initially understand why the 4007 continued playing the maudlin music of the late Jeff Buckley even though I had ejected the CD earlier. Spooky.

This is a credible first attempt by Peugeot even if Citroen’s Crosser has a cleaner nose job although the hardy Pug should be chosen without that fake sports exhaust and those pointless sports wheels of the GT. It would then be more of an off-roader and not a bling mobile which is so passe’, don’t you think?

All images are copyright of Peugeot Press Office

Words (with the exception of quotations) are copyright of Sotiris Vassiliou

November 2008