REFRESHED PEUGEOT RCZ FEATURES NEW TECH

The Peugeot RCZ. It’s one of my all-time favourite cars of any kind really. The whole package is pretty attractive, from its smooth looks, the double-bubble roof, to the user-friendly interior and highly engaging gearbox. RCZ anytime. Peugeot reckons it’s now improved the package and that sounds like music to my ears.

Yes, this is a facelift, but it’s a little bit more than that. We’ll start with the new face though, now redesigned to keep up with the new look of Peugeot. Central to this is the hexagonal front grille with twin, satin-chrome horizontal bars and the Peugeot lion mascot that’s now positioned close to the edge of the bonnet. There’s a little “Peugeot” nomenclature just below that. LED daytime running lights enhance the look of the reshaped grille. The retractable rear wing can raise itself at speeds of over 120km/h in order to help stabilise the car. One can also raise it manually by pushing a button.

The biggest improvement is the addition of a new infotainment system conducted by an 18cm colour screen. With its 16:9 format and 800x480 pixel resolution, Peugeot is ensuring that while it’s come late to this kinda party, there’s still time to dance. Features include Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, so you can play the music that’s in your phone through the RCZ’s own speakers. Another exciting bit is the satellite navigation system which now features perspective views.

Things are still the same under the bonnet, which is not a bad thing at all. The same 1.6-litre turbo still delivers two power outputs, depending on its application. At entry-level stage is the 115kW (240Nm) version only comes with a 6-speed automatic gearbox and can do 0 – 100km/h in 8.4 seconds, according to its maker. In contrast, its 147kW, 275Nm big brother runs the same sprint in 7.5 seconds but changes gears manually through a really awesome 6-speed stick.

Success has come to Peugeot in as far as the RCZ is concerned, since it’s sold about 50 000 units globally since launch. Of that, about 362 have been to Mzansi customers.

RCZ Coupe Prices

RCZ manual (R423 500)

RCZ automatic (R434 900)