The eagerly awaited Peugeot RCZ sports coupe has won the "red dot: best of the best 2010" award for outstanding design quality in the Automotive category. The red dot awards were first established in 1955 and now attract blue chip companies such as Apple, Nokia, LG Electronics, Pininfarina and Adidas every year. Each year thousands of entries are submitted across 17 categories.

The prestigious red dot award follows the Most Beautiful Car of the Year 2009 award, given to the Peugeot RCZ at the prestigious 25th International Automobile Festival earlier this year. As part of the Festival, an online competition was created to select the most beautiful car of 2009. The Peugeot RCZ was selected from votes cast by over 100,000 internet users in 62 different countries around the world. It is the fourth time Peugeot has won this prestigious award.

Peugeot announced a new Marque plan in January, clearly setting sights on establishing the Peugeot brand as the benchmark for style worldwide. The recent RCZ awards have strengthened this attack. Celebrating 200 years of industrialisation in 2010, Peugeot has launched a new product strategy, new style lines and a new visual identity. Peugeot's RCZ will be the first Peugeot to sport the new Lion badge, when it is launched in Ireland this summer.

The RCZ 2+2 coupé has aroused enormous public enthusiasm. When it was presented at the last Frankfurt Motor Show, 200 units of the RCZ Limited Edition were all booked in under 48 hours. A double bubble roof and aluminium roof arches distinguish it from everything else on the road. The passenger compartment of the RCZ instantly immerses the driver in an ambience echoing the world of motor sport. Wrap-around seats with integral head restraints fit like a glove around the front occupants, and all controls are easily within driver reach.

At launch in Ireland this summer, two engines will find their place under the large aluminium bonnet of the RCZ: a 1.6 litre 200bhp petrol engine matched to a six-speed manual gearbox (category D road tax of €447) and a 2.0 litre HDi diesel 163bhp six speed manual (category B road tax of €156). Both engines are high-performance engines with high torque and power outputs, low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and both meet the new strict Euro 5 emission standards.

Prices and equipment will be announced closer to the Irish launch.