- Doors and Seats
3 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
130kW, 202Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 8.6L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Peugeot delivers another hot hatch
Australian manufacturers Ford and Holden have long known the recipe for endowing an average sedan with extraordinary performance: dont stuff around with anything too high-tech, just drop the biggest V8 you can find under the bonnet and then hang on and enjoy the ride.
Funnily enough, the same thing goes on half a world away in France, but on a slightly smaller scale. Peugeot is one of the European masters of the hot hatch, with a line of high performance little beauties going back at least to the 205 GTi hot rod of the late 1980s.
The secret to what made the 205 go was simple enough, too. It was a very small car but with a very big engine, so it went like a slingshot.
The same principle has been applied to Peugeots latest sports hatch, the 206 GTi. Unlike cooking versions of the 206, which make do with 1.6 litres of four-cylinder engine, the GTi version gets 2.0-litres and more than 100kW of power. In a car no bigger than a Ford Festiva, thats a recipe for plenty of potential thrills.
Of course, the GTi is more than just a mini muscle car, it is also much better equipped than the XR or XT versions of the 206, and the suspension has been upgraded to improve handling and cope with the extra engine power.
It sells for $31,400, placing it well below the new breed of performance coupes such as the Toyota Celica, Honda Integra Type R and Ford Cougar, but is about $5000 more than the similarly-powered, though slightly bigger, Proton Satria GTi. It is also more than $10,000 cheaper than the Peugeot 306 GTi-6.
The list of standard equipment is long, and includes remote central locking, climate control air-conditioning, dual front and side airbags, electric windows, a single CD player, front and rear fog lights and anti-lock brakes.
The performance-oriented equipment includes re-profiled seats partially trimmed in leather (which also covers the steering wheel), a neat alloy gear knob, 15-inch wheels with Pirelli P6000 tyres, and a fairly restrained body kit.
In fact, the body add-ons can afford to be subtle because the basic 206 shape is anything but. It is a tall car, following the latest trends of heading upwards instead of out to gain more interior space, the front and rear sections are heavily sculpted and the nose has a couple of off-set vents in the bonnet and a pronounced black plastic insert in the bumper bar.
Although the 2.0-litre, DOHC 16-valve engine is similar in specification to the 306 GTi, it is actually quite a bit less powerful, developing 102kW at 6000rpm. There is heaps of torque, however, with 194Nm produced at 4100rpm, and Peugeot reckons more than 170Nm of that is available from just 2000rpm.
It is a claim that seems entirely borne out on the road, because the 206 GTi is a willing and able performer with both the ability to rev smoothly and cleanly through its available range but more importantly it will also pull strongly through the mid-range in intermediate and higher gears.
Acceleration in the order of 0-100km/h in just under 9.0 seconds is not going to scare any supercars, let alone an average family sedan, but for a small and well-priced European it works well.
The five-speed manual gearbox is a delight with crisp, responsive changes that make the driver want to scale the engines heights in each gear, and the clutch has a nice bite to it as well. It is a pity the driver isnt looked after better in other ways, however, because the pedals are very close together, meaning it is all too easy to snag the brake pedal when going for the clutch, yet it is still difficult to heel-and-toe, or blip the throttle while down-changing.
The driving position is also awkward, mainly because the pedals and steering wheel seem to be too close to each other. Lanky drivers will find if they move the seat far enough back the wheel is difficult to reach, and with no telescopic adjustment for the steering column, the result is an awkward, upright driving position.
Still, the 206 GTi has huge reserves of grip, and despite heftier anti-roll bars and stiffer torsion bars at the rear (which Peugeot uses instead of more conventional coil springs), its ability to hang on through corners hasnt seemed to compromise the ride quality.
This kind of comfort is a Peugeot speciality and makes the GTi relaxed on the open road and means it remains unfazed by mid-corner bumps through the twisty bits.
Anyone expecting the raw, emotional appeal of the old 205 GTi may be disappointed, however, because the 206 lacks that cars super-direct steering, even if the brakes are well up to the job. The steering has fewer turns lock-to-lock than the standard 206 (it takes 3.1 twirls compared with 3.3) but because the turning circle is also larger you suspect the steering rack it self is shorter, not lower-geared. The GTis cabin is a very pleasant place, driving position and pedal set-up notwithstanding. Like the outside of the car, it is heavy on style with a deeply sculpted dashboard that is also partly trimmed in the same suede-like material that covers parts of the seats. Those seats are excellent, too: soft under the drivers posterior and yet with enough side support to locate a body through the corners.
Just one body shape is available, and, although it is a three-door, access to the back seat is relatively easy for the able bodied because the passenger seat slides well forward to give a decent opening through which to climb. Once established in the rear, a passenger will find more than enough head room thanks to that strange but tall 206 shape, and leg room is acceptable. The boot is big enough and has the usual arrangement of a split-fold rear seat to enlarge it if needed.
In fact, as a viable alternative to a longer, lower and usually more expensive coupe, the 206 GTi makes a lot of sense because despite being smaller, you wouldnt know it once inside.
The engine is a real charmer and the car itself will devour any type of road at seemingly any speed with surprising ease and pace. It has the right equipment levels, and apart from being the devil to get comfortable behind the wheel in, it is one of the best hot hatches around at the moment.
Engine:
2.0-litre, DOHC, 16-valve four cylinder.
Power and toque:
102kW at 6000rpm and 194Nm at 4100rpm.
Transmission:
Five-speed manual only. Front-wheel drive.
Steering:
Rack and pinion, 3.1 turns lock-to-lock. Turning circle 10.5m.
Brakes:
Ventilated discs front, discs rear. ABS standard.
Suspension:
Front: Independent by MacPherson struts with stabiliser bar. Rear: Independent by trailing arms with transverse torsion bars and stabiliser bar.
Wheels/tyres:
6.0 x 15-inch alloy wheels, tyres 185/55R15.
Dimensions and weight:
Length 3835mm, width 1673mm, height 1430mm, wheelbase 2442mm. Kerb weight 1050kg.
Economy:
8.2 L/100km. Fuel tank 50 litres.
Alternatives:
Proton Satria GTi, $26,450
Honda Civic VTi-R Coupe, $31,500
BMW 316i, $39,250
Honda Integra Type R, $39,950