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28/07/2008
By EWAN KENNEDY
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The small-medium Peugeot 206 signalled a new era for the French marque in Australia when it was launched here in September 1999. It was the beginning of a strong comeback, principally because it was favourably priced and lifted the public image of Peugeot away from that of being a somewhat upmarket, perhaps even unapproachable, brand.
Not that the Peugeot 206 felt downmarket. Because it rides and handles like a quality car that’s a full size larger than its 3.8-metre length would suggest. In the late 1990s the French cars dynamics were well ahead of those of the typical Asian machine of the era. So it really appealed to those who loved their driving.
 Despite the excellent handling, ride comfort remained good, even on rough Australian roads. Though it’s mainly aimed at suburban running, Peugeot 206 can easily be used as a long distance cruiser.
Styling broke new ground, with big bold curves that really had people talking all over the world. In particular look at the asymmetrical shape of the body and at the sweeping C-pillars. So successful was the shape of the little French car that Peugeot designers eventually continued it to the rest of the range and 10 years later the style still looks fresh and interesting.
In its home country the Peugeot 206 is used by many as a family car so has excellent space efficiency. There's reasonable accommodation for four people and a fair amount of luggage. The 206's interior has been designed to provide a variety of passenger/luggage combinations by folding different seats as required.
Most 206s are sold as front-wheel drive hatchbacks with either three or five doors, but there's a fascinating open-top model that’s gained a lot of admirers in Australia. Tagged the Peugeot 206CC, with the CC standing for Convertible-Coupe, it has a solid metal roof that can turn it into a convertible at the push of a button.
 There's also a full on sports model in the 206 GTi and its even stronger brother the GTi180. These not only have plenty of engine grunt, but also sports seats, 15-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension and ABS brakes. The GTi variants cost a fair bit more than the standard models but offer decent value for money for the driving enthusiast.
Engines in the Peugeot 206 begin with a 1.4-litre unit, only sold from March 2002 and used in the lower cost variants. The 1.4 has better performance than you might expect in a car of this size, but try it for yourself, preferably with a reasonable number of people on board before settling for its lower price. Far more common is a 1.6-litre engine installed in cars from the original 1999 imports onwards.
A 2.0-litre unit, which is a very large powerplant for a car of this size and light weight, is sold in the sports GTi. That models comes in several formats; most have 100kW or 102kW power outputs but the GTi180 punches out a very healthy 134kW, or 180 horsepower hence the car’s title.
Though the engine capacity in the 180 horsepower unit remains at the same 2.0 litres as on the standard 206 GTi, the 180 has variable valve timing, a twin exhaust system and quite a few detailed changes to increase efficiency. The result is a zero to 100 km/h time of a pretty respectable seven seconds.
The 2.0 engine is also offered in some versions of the 206CC convertible, but only in its lower-powered format. The added weight of the adaptable roof also takes the edge of the car’s performance.
Most models in the Peugeot 206 range have a five-speed manual transmission as standard, with an optional four-speed automatic for those who do a lot of city driving. From the March 2004 model update the auto came with tiptronic-type manual overrides. The 206 GTi comes only with the manual gearbox.
 After a long and successful run in Australia, the 206 was replaced by the Peugeot 207 in a gradual changeover that began early in 2007 and continued for most of that year.
Peugeot is long established in Australia, so there's a strong dealer network that is represented in quite a few country areas, not just in the major metropolitan areas. Servicing costs and spare parts prices are generally reasonable and we seldom hear of any problems with availability.
Insurance costs tend to sit midway up the charts of most companies. The hot 206 GTi models attract higher premiums than the standard ones, but as they don’t have turbo engines the extra insurance charges aren't prohibitive.
HOW MUCH?
A 1999 Peugeot 206 XR three-door should cost from $5500 to $9000; a 1999 XR five-door from $6500 to $10,000; a 1999 GTi 2.0-litre three-door from $8500 to $13,000; a 2005 XR five-door from $10,000 to $15,000; a 2006 XT five-door from $13,000 to $19,000; and a 2006 GTi 180 from $20,000 to $28,000.
CAR BUYING TIP
Changing to a European car from a Japanese one for the first time? You should be aware that build quality may not be as good in the former as the latter.
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