If memory serves correctly, the
Peugeot RCZ R
is the first car I've attended the launch of and been fortunate enough to try in the UK soon after. I thought it was great on first acquaintance, but it's been fascinating to observe how little niggles overlooked during a hoon around France have become proper gripes in Britain.
Still the RCZ's best angle
The RCZ's clutch is set absurdly high, for example. Thrashing it on the launch, firing through shifts as fast as possible, it didn't seem too significant. Now though, having crawled through traffic, it's a right PITA. The positioning of all the pedals compromises the driving position too; you must sit far back to prevent your legs splaying but then the wheel doesn't come close enough to your chest. The seat itself is excellent, which makes the bizarre location of everything else more frustrating
Don't even think about using the cup holder either. A handbrake set for LHD means any beverage will be spilled reaching across, or indeed changing gear. If it hasn't already fallen out of its very shallow holder round a corner, that is.
The infotainment system feels ancient, a feeling exacerbated by the minute, fiddly buttons and diminutive screen. The Bluetooth takes ages to sync and offers no music display. It doesn't do the day-to-day stuff very well, basically.
Here's where the problems start...
I hate to criticise the RCZ R as it's genuinely a superb car to drive in my opinion. Sodden Tarmac has revealed a far more
expressive dynamic character
, a welcome additional layer of fun to an already excellent ride/handling balance.
In a RHD version, changing gear with what feels like the 'right' hand (if you see what I mean) makes the shift feel even shorter and more accurate than at the launch. On narrower roads with extra traffic, that 1.6 turbo just feels even punchier, gobbling up ratios insatiably.
But eventually driving like you're back on the launch roads has to stop and then the RCZ R can grate a little. And probably the biggest issue it faces is that its main rival, the Audi TTS, is famed for being relatively painless to live with. Let's see how sales go.
It's another heart v head conundrum
Have any of your cars become gradually more frustrating over time? The same actually happened with the
Fiesta ST
we had last year; I loved its vivacity at first, then eventually found the seats quite uncomfortable and the stupid Sync media system rather annoying. Maybe that's an unreasonable complaint, I'm not sure.
In fact, just to finish on the RCZ R, a quick note to Peugeot retailers. Make sure all prospective buyers don't encounter traffic, or want to use the nav, or need to take a drink. Take them to the best road nearby and let them drive. They'll buy without a second thought.