Certain concept cars exhibited at international motor shows also follow this example. Sometimes their power of attraction is so great that the desire to see them take to the road becomes unstoppable.
Stylists and engineers worked together to ensure that all of the vehicle's specification lived up to the promise of its exterior styling.
Indeed while the main aim was to conserve the stylistic blueprint of the concept, despite the considerable constraints imposed by its production and commercialisation, the challenge went much further. Highly ambitious targets were fixed in terms of driveability and production quality, to give the car its own strong and unmistakable identity.
This compact 2+2 coupé was, therefore, designed to become an exclusive vehicle, "something special", a melting pot of emotions, aimed at modern and particularly demanding customers with expert opinions on what constitutes driving pleasure.
Its name, RCZ, symbolises this distinctive and singular positioning in relation to the Peugeot range, since it is the first passenger vehicle not to use the numbering system with a central "zero" or "double zero".
The Peugeot RCZ therefore illustrates the sum of Peugeot values, which are constantly realigned with the times.
Designed to enhance the sheer enjoyment of driving, the Peugeot RCZ is also dynamic (the top of the range model features an all new 1.6 litre THP 147 kW/200 bhp engine), and responsible, offering an innovative blend of performance and environmental-friendliness. With its reduced weight, fine-tuned aerodynamics and modern engine technology, the entry level model has CO2 emissions of only 139 g/km.
An extension of this thinking is the Peugeot RCZ equipped with HYbrid4 technology which will be unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. This Peugeot RCZ is based on the same power train as the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 which will be available in Spring 2011: a 2.0 litre HDi FAP 120 kW (163bhp) in front and a 27 kW (37bhp) electric motor at the rear. This concept has emissions of only 95 g/km of CO2 whilst benefiting from a potential of 147kW (200bhp) and four wheel drive.
This reflects Peugeot's wish to offer this type of technology on different vehicles in its range; vehicles which can be very different (crossover, coupé...) which may be based on different platforms but with a common theme: to offer renewed driving enjoyment.
Another challenge the project faced was to successfully develop this new vehicle within a particularly short time span. With this in mind, it was decided the vehicle would be assembled at a production centre that specialises in exclusive vehicles built in small production runs, inside the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria.
As a result, just two years after being exhibited as a concept car, the Peugeot RCZ will be unveiled for the first time in public, in its definitive form, at the 63rd Frankfurt Motor Show.
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