Road test: Peugeot 206 GTi

By Feann Torr

If you've got roughly $30,000 in your pocket, and are after something with Euro-style, compact dimensions, impressive fuel economy and perhaps even a little bounce in it's step, you'd be an easy customer to please in today's burgeoning car market.

The small car, and particularly the hot hatch sub-segment, has been going gang-busters of late: Almost all manufacturers now have a flagship sports model to top their respective small car line-ups - and many of those who don't are already planning to fill the void.

Toyota's best-selling Corolla now has the 8000rpm+ Sportivo hatch, Renault's well-regarded Clio range has the storming Sport, Holden has a rocket-powered Astra Turbo with 250Nm of wheel-chirping torque and Ford's ST170 Focus tops the Blue Ovals revamped small car range.

While the Peugeot 206 GTi, and indeed each of the above, may not have the straight-line speed of their respective marque's bigger bodied cars, what they lack in propulsion they more than make up for in terms of enjoyable handling characteristics and impressive agility which, in my book, is an acceptable tradeoff.

Herein we'll take a good look at the Peugeot 206 GTi, and while it may be getting a little long in the tooth - first launched in 1999 - it still makes for good company in a hot hatch genre that is growing very rapidly in order to meet the increasing demand of customers.

Make: Peugeot
Model: 206 GTi
Price: $29,990 (as tested)
Transmission: 5 speed manual
Engine: 2.0-litre, Inline four-cylinder, 16 valves, electronically fuel injected
Fuel Consumption: City cycle - 8.0-litres/100km, Highway cycle - 5.6-litres/100km/h
Seats: 5
Safety: Driver and passenger SRS airbags, front side (thorax) SRS airbags, ABS

Drive

Peugeot's 206 GTi may be low on power, but it's still a blast to drive

Despite a deficit of of some 24kW of power when compared to the Clio Sport, fellow Frenchman and arch-rival 206 GTi still feels decidedly rapid.

Peugeot's official literature claims a 0-100km/h time of 8.3 seconds, putting it line-ball with Toyota's 141kW Corolla Sportivo.

Despite our test car feeling slightly quicker than this, and offering inspiring levels of mid-corner grip, driving the 206 around confronts the driver with both pros and cons.

For starters, let's look at the cons. Ergonomics are fairly generic in the GTi - there's a CD stereo, electric windows and mirrors, leather and suede sports seats and plenty of storage bins - but I personally had a few issues in regards to head room. Or lack thereof.

The vertically gifted, it seems, don't rate a mention in the official Peugeot guide-book of "How to Make a Perfect Pocket-Rocket", which is a damn shame, because if you're not comfy, you won't enjoy the ride.

Even with the seat in it's lowest position, my head would sometimes get unnervingly close to the cloth-trimmed roof lining, and over acute bumps my noggin would sometimes get a little French massage.

Anyone measuring under 180cm will be quite content in the Pug's cockpit and can throw the above quibble out the window. Truth be told, the seats conform quite nicely to ones derriere, and the levels of adjustment are impressive [including height adjust] with the leather and suede upholstery proving suitably lavish, but without being overly soft.

Lateral support in the front seats is okay - nothing special - but the GTi manages to stay remarkably composed, even when violently changing direction, and body roll is kept under control thanks to sports-tuned springs, dampers and anti-roll bars fore and aft.

While the GTi isn't quite as maniacally entertaining as the Clio Sport - due in part to it's lack of kilowatts, slightly higher kerb weight [Renault is 1035kg, Peugeot is 1050kg] and less composed chassis - it still rips it up good and proper, just like a hot hatch should.

Braking is taken care of by disc brakes at all four corners, ventilated up front to help dissipate heat more effectively. The brakes have impressive initial bite, and reisisted fade during spirited journeys.

ABS is combined with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), and despite a lack of traction control, the EBD allows you to brake mid-corner without dire consequences, which comes in handy when you 'screw the pooch' to quote one concerned passenger.

Turn in is fairly average for a front-wheel driver and the front end will push a little when carrying extreme levels of momentum into an apex, but the high levels of grip are seriously encouraging.

This is due in no small part to the racey 16-inch nine-spoke alloy wheels, shod with 205/45 R16 tyres, while the Clio Sport ships with smaller 15-inchers, shod with 195/50s. This means the Clio has 10mm less rubber (width) in contact with the road and 5mm more sidewall when compared to the Peugeot GTi.

The GTi has an eagerness for the apex

It's feels as though Peugeot wanted to make a real apex avenger, which it has, but decided to dull down the thrust.

I guess in the face of new and improved competition, the all-new GTi 180 with it's 133kW of power should address this issue when it lobs here later in the year.

But as it is, the standard GTi - in the right hands - is capable of trouncing much more expensive product on winding country roads in any conditions.

In town, the Pug's five-speed manual gearbox will be given a right royal wrenching with the ratios set up more for enthusiastic fanging, and less for relaxed commuting.

But due to the Peugeot's small size [it's just 1673mm wide] it dances easily through hectic peak hour congestion and parking the tiddler is a breeze - though rearward vision via the central mirror leaves a little to be desired.

Driving the GTi, in general, is a lot of fun in any sitauation - it's got great character - but of course there's also the illogical windscreen-wiper/indicator setup that plagues many French and indeed Euro passenger vehicles, though it is easy enough to adapt to if you own one.

Exterior

Walk around the 206 GTi and it's hard not to be at least a little impressed. Anyone who regularly watches Network Ten's coverage of the international WRC will be quite impressed with the overall look (and also the sticker loudly proclaiming it's rallying success), as the GTi gets a number of visual tweaks when compared to it's unsophisticated-looking brethren.

For starters, you get nine-spoke alloy wheels shod with low-profile rubber that fill out the wheel arches tastefully, and the drilled alloy fuel filler cap is classy touch indeed, while a trapezoidal exhaust outlet lets those behind you know that this ain't no garden-variety hatchback.

The GTi is lower and wider than it's smaller capacity-ed 206 siblings and gets a small roof spoiler, subtle body work for the skirts, front and rear aprons, and extremely radiant fog lights, giving it more road presence than the stock 206.

I personally liked the two oval slots in the trailing edge of the bonnet, which not only look cool, but work with the car's air-conditioning system (cheers Bangalla) to supply ample amounts of fresh, untainted air to hot and sweaty passengers.

While the 206 body shape hasn't changed since the late 90s, it can still hold it's head high amongst other pocket rockets - it was a nice looking motor when it made it's debut, and I reckon it still is today.

Interior

Apart from my gripes about head room and the seating position, the GTi's cockpit is fairly well equipped and quite comfy, if a little tight for my personal tastes. It's slightly more elegant than the Clio Sport and fit and finish is better in the Peugeot too.

Interior shown is of '99 model. 2003 models have white dials and new-look centre console

The front seats are agreeably finished in suede and leather, combined with a very grippy (and pragmatic) material on the lower [horizontal] seat cushions.

The leather steering wheel is delightful to touch, but has only tilt adjust.

The instrument cluster is appropriately sporty, with the dials finished in white accompanied by red needles, and the gear shifter is seriously cool - the epitome of stylishness - finished in polished metal with a level tactility not found in leather or plastic-covered items.

The de rigueur drilled alloy pedals are very closely located, which makes blipping the throttle during deceleration (braking and downshifting) a breeze, but wearing larger soled or wider shoes can become a dangerously real problem for anyone with footwear sized 11 and above.

Call me crazy, call me mad (it happens), but if you're going to endow a flagship sports model with big wheels, fog lights, leather sports seats and a CD player, why not include a premium sound system?

Sure, the GTi gets six speakers (two of which are tweeters), but it distorts very early on in the volume range and pales in comparison to even Hyundai's CD-system in the Getz FX.

The atypical 206 GTi buyers are younger, 18-35 year old males, who would probably want to pump up the tunes to eardrum-exploding levels while cruising through the Maccas drive-through, which makes the decision even more baffling...

Still, it's not all doom and gloom - and for most the stereo will be more than adequate, and rear seat passengers actually get better audio acuity, and the bench seating for five is pretty comfy too. Five-up, the Pug struggles a bit in terms of power delivery, and the person sitting in the middle (rear) won't exactly be congratulating you on a practical purchase.

The automatic climate control system works effectively enough, adapting well to various conditions and the light-sensitive headlights are nice addition too, turning on automatically at dusk and in tunnels.

There's an illuminated suede-finished glovebox that's nice and deep, central locking, useful map lights and air conditioning, though a 245-litre boot won't allow much more than a couple of medium-sized suitcases.

>> Page 2: Comfort & Handling, Engine, Extras, Overall