The Peugeot RCZ will die without a successor

It seems that not everything is good news for car enthusiasts. Peugeot has confirmed that, for now, the RCZ will have no successor -at least no direct one- when the current generation is withdrawn from sale.

This move is not a response to a failure of the model, which has been well received globally, but rather to the expansion plans of the French brand.

Peugeot is determined to become one of the great European brands in the coming years, and to that end it has devised an ambitious business plan that includes, among other measures, a drastic cut to the range of models from the lion manufacturer, which will be left with just 13 models in only a few years.

Currently the French brand offers a noticeably larger number of models, something that in the long run is not very efficient, due to the wide dispersion this creates. One of the models that will not be renewed will be, as we have been reporting, the RCZ, one of the most groundbreaking and avant-garde models that Peugeot has marketed in the last few years.

The RCZ was launched on the market in 2009, presented as a coupé with sporty manners and a very daring design, reminiscent of the silhouette of the Audi TT. Based on the chassis and bodywork of the previous generation of the compact 308, the RCZ received a thorough restyling in 2013, in which its design was modified, its interior quality improved and its engine range renewed.

The RCZ currently has a more hardcore variant, called RCZ R, which has the honour of holding the world power record for a road-going 1.6 engine. Its 1.6 THP engine produces 270 CV, which combined with a chassis with specific tuning, the inclusion of a mechanical limited-slip differential and a 6-speed manual gearbox, has made it a true sprinter that has won over critics across half the world. However, it seems that the RCZ R will, before long, become just a fond memory for enthusiasts of Peugeot.

Via | Autocar.co.uk