peugeotrcz

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Peugeot RCZ

If you're in the market for an economical hatchback or family wagon, Peugeot has got a whole range of choices. But if you're looking for something a little more stylish, the French automaker has had to send you elsewhere. Until now, that is. Two years ago in Frankfurt, Peugeot took the wraps off the 308 RC-Z concept that seemed to blend the best elements from the company's Golf-class hatchback with the sleek design of the Audi TT. Public demand grew to such an extent that parent company PSA gave the project the green light, paving the way for the production-ready RCZ which the company unveiled at this year's Frankfurt show.

The stylish design takes the French automaker into another level of design, and is backed up by a solid range of engines. Co-developed with BMW and implemented in the Mini, the 1.6-liter turbocharged Prince engine is available in the RCZ with 156 horsepower or 200, and can be coupled with an electric motor for four-wheel-drive hybrid propulsion, or ordered with a 2-liter turbodiesel. Engines aside, it's the RCZ's style that will carry it through a crowded market, so check it out in the gallery below.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Peugeot RCZ