Jeremy I

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Friday –

Snapshot 2013-05-30 21-10-50

Jeremy  I’ve just been reading Richard Hammond‘s review of the new RCZ in the Mirror. Me and the little chap used to present on Men & Motors PI (Pre Internet) – in those days he rode a motorbike to work and was slightly taller…

He’s obviously a big fan of the Pug coupe and especially the styling. I have to say I agree with him because any manufacturer that dares to break the jellymould of car design deserves a slap on the back.

The latest RCZ benefits from the new corporate nose of Peugeot, first seen on the 208. It’s not that different to the last one but on the RCZ, that means slightly more angular headlights and those annoying daytime running lights too.

One feature I agree with Hammond on is that there is something odd about the driving position. I can get comfortable in the seat but the foot pedals are so high they must have been designed for somebody with two knee joints.

It’s weird. The electric seats will recline and adjust for height but at 5ft 10ins, I began to feel like, well, a Richard Hammond. No idea why this is but I’m hoping Jessica can shed some light on things when she squeezes her 5ft 11ins frame inside next week…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tuesday – It’s no dummy

root

Jeremy I have just driven our XC60 to London-based Rootstein, who are  the Rolls-Royce of mannequin makers in the fashion world that Jessica frequents. It’s a bright, sunny day and the doors of their Kensington fashion studios are highly polished and squeaky clean. Fortunately, the mirror image is sparkling enough to reflect the XC60, as it rolled driverless down the road behind me…

TheXC60’s  multi-function key has six options but not one of them can ‘apply handbrake’ remotely from where I watched gaping. The irony is that the XC60 is otherwise so incredibly safe it almost dispenses with the need for birth control. However, for some strange reason, is equipped with one of those push button handbrakes that screams ‘accident’ every time I don’t apply it.

W14 is fairly flat so I was able to out-sprint Usain Bolt before any damage was done. Then I used the front blind spot camera to squeeze into a parking space, with rear sensors on standby and the pedestrian airbag ready to bounce anybody who is unfortunate enough to get in my way.

For the drive home, I was able to relax in the knowledge that blind spot indicators would alert me if somebody overtook, lights at the foot of the windscreen would flash if the computer decided I was too close to the car in front. If XC60 doesn’t like my iPod playlist, I’m certain it would have probably switched to a more middle-of-the road David Grey too.