Let's first deal with the metaphorical elephant sitting in the passenger seat – the fact that it’s impossible not to discuss.

Yes, I know, the Peugeot RCZ looks an awful lot like it comes from the same sub species as the Audi TT.

Right, now that two tons of tusks and trunk are no longer blocking access to the glove compartment, we can get on with celebrating a car which is an absolute revelation from the French manufacturer.

Take a look at the pictures on this page.

It looks incredible, doesn’t it?

A joyous series of sweeping lines and exquisite curves emanating somewhat incongruously from a Peugeot badge in the middle of the bonnet.

I say incongruously, because it is absolutely the last car most of us would ever imagine Peugeot making.

Sure, Peugeot has made some pretty impressive performance cars over the years – running a tit-for-tat battle against the aforementioned Audi at Le Mans, where much of what we see here will have been imagined.

Then there have been sporadic recent road cars like the Peugeot 205 Gti, but that last burned rubber way back when.

But here is a car which really doesn’t look as though it should have a lion on it.

We’re led to believe that this is a whole new chapter for Peugeot and if that’s true, then it looks like it’s going to be a pretty impressive one.

I dare say that I prefer the way it looks to the TT.

Unlike the TT, which suffers slightly from Audi’s anodyne design signature, the RCZ brings together a series of amazing ideas.

I’m most impressed by the double-bubble rear windscreen, which also serves to make the rear cabin of this 2+2 feel far less claustrophobic than many cars in this class.

I’m not sure about the electronically operated spoiler at the rear – an afterthought which actually serves to spoil the car’s lines when in use.

There will no doubt be a French engineer prepared to argue the point with me, but I can’t actually believe that it does a great deal to affect handling.

Further forward, the RCZ’s potent stance was one which grew on me the more I saw it.

Cars built with the sole purpose of being larger than life so often look out of shape and unbalanced, but that isn’t the case here at all.

Then there’s the name.

Peugeot say that they opted to call this car the RCZ because it represented a break with tradition of  their 00 naming system – a device emphasising the fact that this is something special.

Where that leads us in terms of future models – perhaps Peugeot plans a double offering with its more prosaic cars on sale alongside things a little more special.

There are three engines available in the range to start with.

They are a 1.6 litre THP petrol engine boasting 200bhp, the same engine producing ‘only’ 156bhp and the 2litre Hdi engine tested here and capable of running to 163bhp. Coming soon – and perhaps the biggest clue as to where Peugeot is heading with its products after the RCZ – will be a hybrid engine.

There are two trim levels so far – the Sport Coupe and GT – and I’d be astonished if they don’t build a version with a folding hard top.

It wasn’t that long ago that people would have scoffed at the idea of a diesel engine in a car like this, but once again, Peugeot’s success at Le Mans has put paid to that.

The Hdi engine is good for a 0-60mph time of under 9 seconds and although I was initially disappointed by its first gear pull away from a standing start, I grew to love the way it could pull steadily and strongly throughout all six gears.

There’s no discernible turbo involvement, just the kind of smooth line of power which you’d expect from a normally aspirated petrol engine.

In terms of handling, it doesn’t have the sharpness and clarity of an Audi, or for that matter the raw, rugged edge of something like a Nissan 370Z. But it certainly doesn't feel like a compromise either – it’s a car with extraordinary looks yet everyday practicality.

Boot space in a 2+2 can be minuscule, but this being a front engined car, that isn’t case.

Nor are the rear seats as cramped and confined as they can be in many cars of this type.

Those who say it’s a cheap version of a TT – after all, the highest priced RCZ is about the same prices as the cheapest TT – are wrong.

It’s far better than that – a totally different car which will suit entirely different sensibilities and desires.

It’s a truly impressive car which holds great promise for all things Peugeot... even if there is an elephant sitting in the passenger seat.

TECH SPEC:
Model: Peugeot RCZ 156 Sport Coupe 2litre HDi
Price: £21,428
0 to 60mph: 8.7 secs
Top speed: 135
Insurance Group: 30
Emissions: 139 g/km