Peugeot RCZ — from concept car to Jamaica

BY PATRICK FOSTER

Friday, January 28, 2011

IT is often said that Jamaica has at least one of every model car on the market represented here.

That might be a stretch, but Progressive Motors, local dealers for Peugeot recently unveiled the latest offering — the RCZ — hot of the assembly line at the French auto company.

The Peugeot RCZ, a snazzy, newly designed sports car, had its official international launch in May 2010 and by year-end one of the cars had an owner in Jamaica.

"This is the only one in the island," Progressive Motors sales representative, Desmond Brown told Auto recently.

According to the manufacturer, the RCZ was originally planned as a concept car introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2009 but it received critical acclaim, capturing the imagination of the public and professionals. Peugeot then decided to move from concept to actual car and began production last year.

Unique, with its double-bubble roof, wide, cab-forward stance and low profile, the RCZ is an impressive-looking vehicle.

It is complete with all the expected safety and driving features — traction control, ABS, ESP and so on.

Proximity-sensors beep when the vehicle is too close to an object and an on-dash visual display tells almost everything that is happening inside the vehicle.

Interestingly though, the RCZ, with a 1600cc, four-cylinder turbo engine, departs from the massive displacement of other sports cars.

Brown tells Auto that the RCZ engine was designed in collaboration with BMW and is similar to that of the MINI Cooper.

At 158 horsepower, the 1.6 litre RCZ has a speedometer reading topping out at 250kph.

"It is the most powerful 1600cc engine in the world," Brown emphasised adding that a 1.6 litre 200hp, six-speed manual version is also available.

Inside the RCZ, leather finishing is ample (faux in parts) and cruise control, six-speaker AM/FM radio with MP3 capable, CD player, Bluetooth-compatible hands-free kit, USB connector and a jack socket are standard.

Dual-zone climate control air-conditioning and steering wheel controls add to the creature comforts.

On the exterior 18-inch alloy wheels, front and rear fog lamps and dual chrome-plated exhaust pipes demand a second look. There is also an active rear spoiler that is out of view but raises when the car reaches approximately 60mph.

Peugeot offers the RCZ in three configurations: RCZ 1.6 litre turbo, six-speed manual; RCZ 1.6 litre turbo five-speed tiptronic automatic and the RCZ HDi manual, turbo diesel.

The 1.6 litre RCZ automatic, five-speed tiptronic model viewed by Auto is priced at $6.1 million.

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Peugeot RCZ — from concept car to Jamaica