New Peugeot Coupé debuts at Speedshow

Car fans heading for Speedshow in Auckland in July will be the first in New Zealand to see Peugeot’s stunning new RCZ coupé.

The striking two-plus-two compact coupé was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show late last year, just two years after being revealed as a new concept car by the French marque. The RCZ coupé appears at Speedshow, running 24 and 25 July at the ASB Showgrounds, prior to its official New Zealand launch in August.

“It’s an absolute delight to have the Peugeot RCZ coupé make its New Zealand premiere at Speedshow,” says the show’s organiser Keith Sharp.

“TopGear magazine describes the RCZ as ‘one of a tiny handful of cars that cost hot-hatch money but have the visual impact of something four or five times the price’. From the photos we’ve seen it looks fantastic, so we’re all looking forward to seeing the RCZ for ourselves when the doors to Speedshow open on Saturday 24 July,” says Sharp.

Grant Smith, general manager for New Zealand Peugeot distributor Sime Darby Automobiles, says the RCZ coupé is the first of the next generation of Peugeot cars to be seen in 2010.

“It’s more than just the embodiment of a concept car; the RCZ sports coupé marks a new stage in the line-up of Peugeot’s ‘leisure vehicles’, while also being the first model to benefit from the latest Peugeot ‘lion’ brand identity,” says Smith.

“Athletic, elegant and aerodynamic, the style of the RCZ offers a new experience and energy. The sensuality of the car’s double-bubble roof and rear windscreen, combine with its two aluminium arches to produce its most distinctive features.

“The RCZ coupé meets Euro 5 vehicle emission standards and two variants of this new model are going on sale in New Zealand,” continues Smith.

“There is a high-performance engine option which reflects the quintessential features of the RCZ’s chassis. This model has a 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger and VTi technology matched to a 6-speed manual transmission to produces maximum power of 147 kW (200 bhp) at 6,800 rpm and maximum torque of 275 Nm from 1,700 rpm through to 4,500 rpm. All this performance combined with fuel economy figures of 6.9 litres/100 km/43.4 mpg in the combined cycle (with 159 g/km of CO2) makes this model a very attractive performance-oriented option.

“The 147 kW model will do 0 to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds and 80 to 120 km/h in fifth gear in 6.5 seconds,” adds Smith. “This makes the Peugeot RCZ an affordable high performance car when it is officially launched in New Zealand in August 2010.”

Smith says the second 1.6-litre option, also turbocharged, is matched to a brand-new 6-speed automatic transmission. “This model, with 115 kW (156 bhp) of power, has Peugeot’s new 6-speed sequential automatic gearbox which strengthens the distinctive character of the RCZ by offering the ideal blend of driveability and fuel economy.”

Sharp says the Peugeot RCZ’s premiere at Speedshow adds to an already exciting line-up of new vehicles heading for the fourth annual automotive extravaganza.

“There are models of all shapes and sizes – from super efficient to super high performance – from BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Suzuki and now Peugeot. Don’t forget the huge array of new motorbikes and classic, fast, and simply stunning race cars and bikes of all descriptions. This year’s show is going to have a fantastic variety of vehicles to appeal to car and bike enthusiasts of all ages.”

Speedshow is perfect for a winter’s day enjoyment among the numerous interactive and kid-friendly displays, and takes place over the weekend of 24 and 25 July at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland. News and details are updated on the Speedshow website on a regular basis; see www.speedshow.co.nz.