After unleashing the 208 GTi hatchback onto local roads, French carmaker Peugeot now launches yet another sporty addition to its stable in the form of the updated RCZ Sports Coupé.

This eye-catching two-door car boasts a completely redesigned front-end that according to Peugeot sports a “stronger, more succinct grille, framed on either side by redesigned headlights.”

These headlights feature a more fluid shape, retaining clear lenses to showcase the standard directional Xenon main beams that are set against a titanium-coloured backdrop. The front of the car also features a reshaped bonnet along with a new front bumper.

The redesigned hexagonal grille’s design is a little cleaner than before, with its shape  augmented by dual satin-chrome horizontal bars. Directly below these bars is a curved lower air intake that makes the face of the RCZ look a little bolder, with each end of the intake flanked by the light signature of LED daytime running lights, set in a gloss black surround.

The cabin of the RCZ Sports Coupé makes for a rendezvous of sportiness, practicality and interior comfort.  

Power on tap

Under the French bonnet of the new RCZ Coupé resides a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with the power being sent to the front wheels via either a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

The powerplant delivers a useful 147 kW between 5 500 and 6 800 RPM, along with 275 Nm of torque, already on tap from 1 700 RPM but sustained all the way up to 4 500 RPM. In manual guise, the RCZ reaches a 100 km/h from standstill in 7.5 seconds, and is able to reach a terminal top end of 240 km/h. Despite the performance bark, the fuel consumption bite remains easy to live with at a combined-cycle (town and highway driving) of 6.7 litres per 100 km.

Strangely, the automatic version of the RCZ Sports Coupé, which is powered by the same engine as the manual, only churns out 115 kW at 6000 RPM and peak torque figure of 240 Nm between 1 400 and 4 500 RPM. This sees the auto bring up a 100 km/h on the speedo in 8.4 seconds, onto an illegal top speed of 213 km/h. As far as economy is concerned, the automatic Coupé has a combined-cycle fuel consumption rating of 7.3 litres per 100 km.

Peugeot’s RCZ Coupé provides a comprehensive array of safety features, ranging from the latest-generation of stability and traction control to ABS brakes, an active rear spoiler, as well as front and chest/pelvis airbags for the driver and front passenger.

In terms of aestetic appeal, the derrier of the RCZ Sports Coupé is as eye-catching as the front.  

Pricing, warranty and maintenance

The recommended retail pricing of the new Peugeot RCZ Sports Coupé is as follows:

• RCZ 1.6 THP Automatic           R423 500
• RCZ 1.6 THP Manual               R434 900

These prices includes a 3 year or 100 000 km warranty as well Peugeot’s Premium Plan, which is a full maintenance plan that is valid for 5 years or 100 000 km. Service intervals are staggered at 20 000 km intervals.

“The RCZ Coupé remains one of the most desirable cars on South African roads, and a truly aspirational member of the Peugeot model line-up,” said Francis Harnie, MD of Peugeot South Africa.

“This latest version is expected to build on that success with an even stronger visual presence, and some key interior updates, combined with all the aesthetic and dynamic virtues we’ve come to expect of this athletic coupé. Advanced safety and an efficient drivetrain add further appeal, while our standard Premium Plan contributes a 5 year or 100 000 km full maintenance plan,” Harnie concluded.

In other car related news, Toyota South Africa Motors recently launched new limited edition versions of the Hilux called the Dakar Edition.