RPM TV Online

PARIS, France. – The room is huge – so huge it’s actually a hall. It has a long, curving rear wall. The wall is white, as is the ceiling. The lighting, from a mix of artificial and natural sources, is almost impossibly even and homogenous, like a scene from Stanley Kubrick’s celebrated sci-fi movie, 2001 A Space Odyssey.

And there, in the centre of this large venue they call The Dome, located in the PSA Groups’ technical development and design centre south of Paris, is the reason I’ve travelled 10 000 km, albeit in the relative comfort of a business class seat on an Air France Boeing 777 300ER: the new Peugeot RCZ.

The two-door coupé is supposed to be a key image builder for the French marque, and slots into the same sports car niche as the highly admired Audi TT. In fact, most commentators have made a point of comparing the French newcomer and its German inspiration, mainly because of some cosmetic similarities.

Those might appear significant in the two dimensions of a photograph, but the reality is quite different – even if external designer Boris Reinmöller happens to be German.  And to add fuel to the Teutonic fire, it’s assembled in Austria.

Thankfully, Reinmöller hasn’t cribbed the TT, even though pics seem to indicate this: in the metal, it’s very much an individual, purely Peugeot design.

There may be some similarities in terms of proportion, but the RCZ is the more aggressively styled, thanks to the Gallic coupé’s intricately executed, unashamedly muscular haunches, and its  more pronounced boot.

As a result, the cab appears to be located far more forward than the TT, allowing more space for luggage and rear occupants. The nose is pure Peugeot, too, complete with a gaping grille, massive tapered headlights, and steeply raked windscreen.

Only the aluminium roof rails, which serve only to visually outline the RCZ’s profile, display the pronounced arc that is so reminiscent of the Audi. But here, it is located almost proud of the actual roofline.

The rear screen is a work of art, with a central indentation that suggests two longitudinally oriented tunnels, one each for driver and front occupant. But you only see it when you view the RCZ in the metal.

Most of all, the RCZ is a coupé that intrigues enough when standing still to inspire a real desire to drive it – something we will only do tomorrow.

But consider this: the Peugeot RCZ is both aspirational and dynamically promising. It should also be considerably more affordable than a TT. And it’s been designed to epitomise the design prowess of the brand, with a superb interior execution to boot.

I won’t bore you with the technical details until then – but look out for hot-off-the-press driving impressions during the course of the day.