- Doors and Seats
3 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.6i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
82kW, 147Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 7.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Small or nothing
FOR: $20,000 never looked so chic. Great steering, handling and ride comfort on the open road. Strong, flexible performance from 1.6. Good brakes and tyres. Big boot.
AGAINST: Quality and reliability need attention. Unsupportive driver's seat and crowded pedal layout. Poor city fuel economy. Suspension lacks low-speed compliance. Rear seat access.
VERDICT: Easy to fall in love with, but a long-term relationship could be trying.
RATING: 2 stars (out of 5)
Small car sales are collapsing as buyers in this most price sensitive of classes begin what may be a long period of pre-GST hibernation.
Peugeot has driven bravely into the valley of death with its new 206 range, taking its chances against Volkswagen's Polo at the premium end of the market.
The British-built 206 is the successor to the 205, which disappeared from showrooms in 1994. The 1.6 litre 206XR is available in three or five-door body styles, both priced at $19,990.
The 206 is a gorgeous piece of Euro chic. The Toyota Echo and Ford Ka have been designed to "look European"; they're cute, sure, but the 206 emphatically demonstrates the gulf between wannabes and the real thing.
The base model XR is powered by a 1.6-litre four, with, at this stage, a five-speed manual only. A four-speed auto variant is due early in 2000. Standard equipment includes a driver's airbag, remote central locking and engine immobiliser, power steering and front windows, and a cd player/four-speaker stereo system.
If you want to add air conditioning (a $2000 option), you're probably better off going for the $23,900 XT five-door, which includes air, plus a front passenger airbag, four electric windows, velour trim, foglights, rear head restraints and a height-adjustable driver's seat.
The 1.6-litre eight-valve four produces a respectable 67kW, sufficient to power the heavyish (1,100kg) 206 from 0-100km/h in a competitive 12.8 seconds. It's a punchy, enthusiastic engine, with a wide spread of usable performance, excellent high gear/low rpm pulling power and enough top end kick to have fun with on the right road.
Highway cruising is smooth, relaxed and economical, but the test car had a big city thirst - 11.6 litres/100 km of premium unleaded. It also refused to consistently drop revs when changing gears, a problem which became worse as temperatures rose.
The five-speed 'box slides smoothly into each gate, but has quite a long throw and vague action. The pedals, especially the brake and accelerator, are very close together; you get used to this, but if you're test-driving a 206 in a pair of size 10s, be careful.
As you would expect from Peugeot, the 206 goes straight to the top of the class in steering and handling. It goes exactly where you point it, with a beautifully weighted wheel and displays great agility and balance when pushed through a set of tight bends.
Peugeot is highly-skilled at delivering suspension compliance and control - a difficult task - and on rough roads at highway speeds the 206 remains as secure and comfortable as a larger car. Grippy 175/65 Michelin tyres on 14-inch wheels and progressive, powerful (with a firm push) brakes complete a great open road dynamic package.
Low-speed ride comfort, though, is not up to the marque's usual standards. The 306 and 406 glide over anything, but the 206's springs lack initial compliance and react quite harshly at times to Sydney's admittedly crook street surfaces.
The 206's driver's seat doesn't quite match the plush, supportive chairs in its larger cousins, either. The backrest is fine, but the seat base is flat, saggy and underpadded, just like a $13,990 cheapie. Taller drivers sit low, in a slightly knees up position, with a height-adjustable wheel.
The deep dash cowl and large windscreen provide excellent forward vision and though the interior decor is predominantly dark in colour, the 206's cabin has a pleasant, spacious ambience. On sunny days, the dash cowl reflects distinctly in the windscreen.
The dash features a simple, easy-to-use control layout and full instrumentation. No rheostat is provided to dim instrument lighting at night. Audio quality is high by class standards, but there's not a great deal of easily accessible oddment storage space. A storage compartment is provided under the front passenger's seat.
Access to the rear seat is a hassle because the front seats have no single tilt/slide mechanism. The backrest adjustment handles on both front seats almost fell off during the test, rendering correct seat adjustment impossible until the Drive allen key was employed to put the mechanisms back together.
The back seat is comfortable, but like all cars of this ilk legroom is tight. The rear windows are hinged, so some ventilation is possible. The 206 has a generously-sized boot, with a long, wide floor. The 60/40 split fold back seat extends capacity, while the seat base can be double folded or removed altogether for maximum flat floor space.
On the road the 206 feels tight and solid, but Peugeot quality and reliability are still behind acceptable standards. At the Sydney Motor Show, for example, the driver's door on one of the display 206s was already drooping on its hinges and was difficult to close, while the interior trim and seat upholstery was poorly finished in places.
The 206 is a beautiful thing standing still and the best car in the class to drive. If you're a true believer, immediately besotted, or prepared to forgive a patience-trying combination of Gallic temperament and British build quality, $20,000 is a bargain. If not, the 206's German rival - VW's $19,990 Polo - is a guaranteed grief-free alternative.
Engine
1.6-litre, eight-valve fuel-injected four-cylinder.
Power
67kW at 5600rpm (average).
Performance
0-100km/h in 12.8 seconds (average).
Brakes
Discs/drums (good).
Economy
7.2 litres/100km highway (average); 11.6 litres/100km city (poor).
Prices
Recommended retail: $19,990.
Street price: No deals yet.
Main options
Passenger airbag $700; alloy wheels $1300; air conditioning $2000; electric sunroof $1500.
Alternatives
Ford Ka 1.3 - $16,500
Honda Civic CXi 1.6 - $19,950.
Toyota Echo 1.3 - $14,990
VW Polo - $19,990