You might have forgotten about this sporty alternative as a used buy this year
Sensuous, sleek, sporty and elegant, this is the Peugeot that shocked many at its global unveiling in 2010. Then in 2013, Peugeot delivered a mild facelift version of the RCZ.
The aim of the Peugeot RCZ was to take the notion of driving pleasure to new heights for the brand. A new segment for Peugeot to tackle.
The Peugeot RCZ benefited fundamentally from a highly efficient suspension set-up developed from the marque’s other platform two vehicles (McPherson type front suspension and rear torsion beam).
In addition, the car’s ride height and centre of gravity was lowered by 20 mm and 40 mm respectively compared to the popular Peugeot 308 Hatchback. Furthermore, compared to the latter, the Peugeot RCZ was wider (+ 30 mm) with wider front and rear tracks (+ 54 mm and + 72 mm). The suspension and dampers were adapted accordingly and with the addition of wider tyres, the end result was a coupe with very good road holding.
The hydraulic power steering was designed to offer great accuracy and good responsiveness. Braking was powerful and durable and was assured by generously dimensioned ventilated discs.
To facilitate manoeuvres on steep gradients, all versions of the Peugeot RCZ came with Hill Assist. This function is coupled as standard with ESP which included an intelligent traction control system (a sophisticated ASR which automatically adapts the traction of both front wheels according to the available grip levels), and of course dynamic stability control (DSC), electronic brake force distribution (EBFD) and emergency brake assist (EBA). The DSC, ASR and EBA functions can be disconnected simultaneously (ESP Off) so that experienced and demanding drivers can fully exploit the car’s capabilities.
Today, if you scan the used car classifieds in Malaysia you will find a few units of the RCZ for sale and they seem to be on sale for some time. Sports car buyers are not quick to want to own a sporty Peugeot it seems. With no new version coming and its supercar looks, a used RCZ could be worth a look if budget permits.
Prices for a 2012-2013 RCZ hover between RM58,000 and RM68,000 and this is just the sticker price. Bargaining on the asking price is a must and you should be able to knock as much as ten percent of the sticker price as dealers are not ready to hold stocks in this economic climate. Think about it. You get a low road tax engine. It comes with Nappa leather clad interior. You get electric seats and a JBL audio system.
Plus, it looks more expensive than its used asking price and in 8-9 years it has depreciated by some 70 percent. Its Malaysian launch price in 2011 was RM219,000 for the automatic and RM224,000 for the manual version. Yes, a very small number of manual versions were sold in Malaysia and you should try and find this in the used car market.
