Peugeot 206

Peugeot 206

Manufacturer	Peugeot
Production	1998–2010 (6.8 million units) 2009–onward (206+) Iran: 2001–present Indonesia: 2003–2008
Assembly	Mulhouse, France Poissy, France Ryton, United Kingdom Tehran, Iran (Iran Khodro) Porto Real, Brazil Buenos Aires, Argentina (Sevel) Wuhan, China (Dongfeng) Jakarta, Indonesia (Gaya Motor) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Naza) Los Andes, Chile (until 2007)
Predecessor	Peugeot 205
Successor	Peugeot 207
Class	Supermini
Body style	3 and 5-door hatchback 4-door sedan 2-door coupé cabriolet 5-door station wagon
Layout	FF layout
Engine	petrol engines: 1.0 L D4D 1.1 L TU1JP 1.4 L TU3JP 1.4 L ET3J4 1.4 L TU3JP (2002–2007, Iran) 1.4 L TU3A (2007–present, Iran) 1.6 L TU5JP 1.6 L TU5JP4 2.0 L EW10J4 2.0 L EW10J4S diesel engines: 1.4 L DV4 HDi I4 1.6 L DV6 HDi I4 1.9 L DW8 I4 2.0 L DW10 I4
Length	Hatchback / SW / CC / SD 3,835 mm (151.0 in) / 4,028 mm (158.6 in) / 4,000 mm (160 in) / 4,188 mm (164.9 in)
Width	1,652 mm (65.0 in) / 1,652 mm (65.0 in) / 1,652 mm (65.0 in) / 1,655 mm (65.2 in)
Height	1,428 mm (56.2 in) / 1,460 mm (57 in) / 1,373 mm (54.1 in) / 1,456 mm (57.3 in)
Kerb weight	1,025–1,145 kg (2,260–2,520 lb)
Related	Citroën C2 Citroën C3 Peugeot 1007

The Peugeot 206 is a supermini car, manufactured by the French automaker Peugeot from 1998 to 2010.

Even though the 206 has finished production in most markets as of 2010, in Europe since 2009, it is available the 206+, with a back and especially a front design that resembles the Peugeot 207.

The project

Original Peugeot 206 (1999–2002)

Facelifted Peugeot 206 (2003–2009)

During the early 1990s, Peugeot decided not to directly replace the Peugeot 205, citing the reason that superminis were no longer profitable or worthwhile. Instead, Peugeot followed a unique strategy and decided that its new, smaller, supermini, the Peugeot 106 (launched in 1991) would take sales from the lower end of the 205 range while the lowest models of the Peugeot 306 range, launched in 1993 to replace the Peugeot 309, would take sales from the top-end 205s. Between the 106 and 306, Peugeot hoped that the 205 would not need to be replaced, and could be phased out slowly, while customers who would normally plump for the 205 would continue to have a choice with either a smaller or larger car.

Unfortunately for Peugeot, this strategy did not work. With the 205 phased out, other superminis like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo continued to sell well and even increased in popularity, and without a direct competitor to these cars Peugeot was losing sales fast.^{[citation needed]} A new supermini was required, and the 206 was launched in 1998 as a somewhat belated replacement for the 205.

Although the 206 moniker indicates a direct continuation from the 205, some critics state that the car should have instead been badged 207. This is because Peugeot launched its latest generation of cars in the early to mid 1990s, with the 106 of 1991, the 306 of 1993 and the 406 of 1995.

Its eventual successor - the Peugeot 207 - was launched in 2006. As of 2010, the twelve-year-old 206 was Peugeot's best-selling car of all time.^{[citation needed]}

It was built in France and England until the end of 2006. The end of British production coincided with the closure of the Ryton plant which Peugeot had taken over when buying Chrysler's European division in 1979.

From April 2010,the Peugeot 206 was no longer listed on Peugeot's current UK model range.That is implying that RHD production has ended.^{[citation needed]} Production for LHD markets finished in June 2010.^{[citation needed]}

Design and engineering

With no larger in-house rival from Citroën to base its new supermini on (the Citroën Saxo shared its platform with the 106), Peugeot developed an all-new front drive platform for the 206.

Overview

The 206 was originally launched as a hatchback with 1.1L, 1.4L, and 1.6L petrol engines and a 1.9L diesel engine, a HDi version with common rail coming later. In 1999 a 2.0L GTi capable of 210 km/h (130 mph), and in 2003 a tuned version of the GTi called the Peugeot 206 RC (GTi 180 in the UK), were added to the range. It did 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 7.4 seconds and it reached a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph) with 177 PS (130 kW).^{[citation needed]} In 2001, two more versions of the 206 were launched - the 206 CC (coupé convertible) with a folding steel roof and the 206 SW station wagon. A 4-door notchback sedan version, developed by Iran Khodro, was unveiled in late 2005, and it is available in the Iranian, North African, Chinese, Russian, Romanian, Turkish and Bulgarian markets.

Production

The 206 was mainly manufactured in Peugeot's Poissy and Mulhouse factories although the car is also produced by Iran Khodro in Iran for that market. It was assembled in Chile for the Mexican and Colombian markets (French made 206s were cheaper than Chilean-built ones, in Chile). The Brazilian production in Porto Real, Rio de Janeiro, started in 2001, followed by the SW version in 2005. The Brazilian production features 1.0L 16V, 1.4L 8V, and 1.6L 16V engines, the last two of which are flexible fuel engines (petrol/ethanol). The 1.0L version used a Renault-sourced engine and was produced until 2006.

Peugeot 206 SW

The Peugeot 206 was also built at Ryton in Coventry, England, however, with the introduction of the '207' to the range Peugeot decided to close the Ryton factory and move production to Slovakia with EU funding. This was despite the workforce and management meeting or exceeding Peugeot quality and efficiency targets, making it one of their best plants. Ryton closed in January, 2007 with the loss of 2,300 jobs making it another blow to the British motor industry after MG Rover collapsed. The Peugeot 206 proved to be a sales success all over Europe. It was the best-selling car in Europe from 2001 to 2003.^{[citation needed]} The 1.4L XR was the best-selling model. On May 26, 2005, the 206 celebrated the five millionth unit produced since its commercial launch on 10 September 1998. Sales in the United Kingdom were strong from the start, with the 206 regularly being among the nation's five most popular new cars during its first six years on sale. Second-hand examples of the 206 traditionally hold their value well, due to high demand.^{[citation needed]}

The Peugeot 206 is also being produced in Villa Bosch, Buenos Aires, Argentina since 1999. The trims being manufactured are XR, XRD, XS, XT and XTD. The diesel powered versions use the naturally aspirated DW engine. Some of these versions are equiped with local-made engines in Jeppener, Buenos Aires

In May 2006, the Malaysian car manufacturer Naza launched a locally assembled version of the 206 with the name of "206 Bestari". In 2006, Peugeot started production of the 206 in China. In September 2006 Citroën China produced a slightly modified Peugeot 206 called Citroën C2 (this car has nothing in common with the European Citroën C2).

206 CC

Peugeot 206 CC

Peugeot 206 CC

Introduced in 2000, the 206 CC (sometimes spelled as 206CC) cabriolet featured a powered fold-away roof based on the Georges Paulin system first seen on the 1935 Peugeot 402 Eclipse coupe. It has since been replaced by the 207 CC.

206 GTI 180 & 206 RC

Peugeot 206 speed display

Introduced to the market in 2003, the Peugeot 206 gti 180 and 206 RC brought high performance to the product range. The range topping gti 180 was brought to the UK market, while the 206 RC was introduced to the rest of Europe. The new 'hot hatch' used the 2 litre EW10J4S engine, which produced 175 bhp (130 kW; 177 PS) thanks to variable valve timing and modified inlet and exhaust manifolds. Other features on the 206 GTI 180 and 206 RC include 17 inch alloy wheels, racing bucket front seats, a short shift gears linkage and altered gearbox ratios (1st & 2nd gears). The new car was capable of reaching 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.4 seconds.^{[citation needed]}

The 206 GTI 180 and 206 RC were produced to celebrate Peugeot's rallying successes from 2000 to 2003, and to replicate the success Peugeot had with the 205 GTI in the 1980s.

Safety

In the EuroNCAP crash tests, the 206 (with dual frontal airbags and no side airbags) received a frontal rating of 11 / 16 and a side rating of 14 / 16 for a total of 4 / 5 stars.^[1]

Petrol engines

• 1.0 L (999 cc) D4D I4 16v, 77 PS (57 kW; 76 hp)
• 1.1 L (1124 cc) TU1JP I4, 60 PS (44 kW; 59 hp)
• 1.4 L (1360 cc) TU3JP I4, 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp)
• 1.4 L (1360 cc) ET3J4 16v I4, 88 PS (65 kW; 87 hp)
• 1.6 L (1587 cc) TU5JP 8v I4, 88 PS (65 kW; 87 hp)
• 1.6 L (1587 cc) TU5JP4 16v I4, 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp)
• 2.0 L (1997 cc) EW10J4 16v I4, 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp)
• 2.0 L (1997 cc) EW10J4S 16v I4, 177 PS (130 kW; 175 hp)

Diesel engines

• 1.4 L (1398 cc) DV4 HDi Diesel I4, 68 PS (50 kW; 67 hp)
• 1.9 L (1868 cc) DW8 Diesel I4, 71 PS (52 kW; 70 hp)
• 1.6 L (1560 cc) DV6 HDi HDi 16v I4, 109 PS (80 kW; 108 hp)
• 2.0 L (1997 cc) DW10 HDi I4, 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp)

The 206 outside Europe

Peugeot 206 SD (Sedan)

206 SD (Sedan)

A notchback sedan model was developed in Iran under the name Peugeot 206 SD, as of 2006.^[2] It was jointly designed by Peugeot and Iran Khodro and is the fifth and last version of Peugeot 206 models.^[3]

In 2006, Iran Khodro started exporting 206 SD to other countries including Russia, Turkey and Algeria.^[4] In Brazil, the 206 SD will be produced starting at October 2008 and sold as 207 Passion. It is not related, however, to the 207 sold in Europe.

In Malaysia and China, it is also sold as the 207, which is sold only as sedan version there.^[5]

Citroën version

Starting 2006, the 206 is being sold by PSA, for the Chinese market only, under the Citroën brand, with a modified front and rear body; this is similar to the way the Citroën LN was derived from the 104. The car is sold as the Citroën C2, although it has no common features with the European Citroën C2.^[6] Later on in 2006, PSA decide to sell the 206 as the Peugeot 206 as well.

206 Escapade

Following brands like Fiat and Volkswagen, Peugeot sells an off-roader version of the Peugeot 206 in selected South American markets, called the Peugeot 206 Escapade.^[7] It is essentially a Peugeot 206 SW station wagon with a rugged SUV-like bodykit and higher and rougher suspension. It is powered with a 1.6L 16v engine.

Malaysian version

In Malaysia, the Peugeot 206 is also marketed under the Naza name. It is sold as the Naza 206 Bestari, and is available in 1.4L petrol engine (TU3JP), and with the option of 5- speed manual transmission and 4-speed automatic transmission (codename AL4). It was replaced by 206 SD, which is renamed as 207 in Malaysia.^[5]

206+ (2009–present)

Peugeot 206+ / Peugeot 207 Compact / Peugeot 207i / Peugeot 207 (Brazil)

Peugeot 206+ in Europe

Peugeot 206+ in Europe

Crashed Peugeot 206

The 206+ is a facelifted version of the 206, with a new front end similar to the European 207, new rear bumpers, and tail lights, along with interior changes including a new dashboard. It is manufactured in Mulhouse, France.^[8]

In May 2008, Peugeot's Brazilian branch announced it would not manufacture nor import the Peugeot 207 to Brazil, but instead it would change some elements of the 206 already in production,^[9] arguing it would be impractical to do otherwise. The car, launched in August 2008, had minor changes were made to mechanical parts such as the suspension and gearbox.^[10] It is marketed between the original 206 and the European 207, having the Volkswagen Fox, Renault Clio Campus and the Chevrolet Agile as its main competitors. It is offered in 3- and 5-door hatchback, estate and 4-door saloon bodystyles, including a facelifted 207 Escapade.

The car is sold under the "207 Compact" nameplate in Argentina (country in which is also produced) and Uruguay, in order to differentiate it from the European 207 CC and RC, which are also sold in those countries. Peugeot planned to name it "207 Brasil" in Brazil, but soon dropped the "Brasil" from the name, as this decision gained generally negative reactions from the media.^[11] The Brazilian 207 has also been criticized because it was perceived essentially as a facelifted 206, despite Peugeot's efforts to market it as an entirely new car and even selling it at a higher base price.^[12]

In February 2009, Peugeot announced that this revised model will be made in France, at the Mulhouse plant for the European (left-hand drive only) market, badged as the 206+.^[13] as a patriotic recession-beating rejoinder to Renault's initiative of importing low priced Dacias from Romania. In May 2009 the company announced the recruitment of an additional 450 workers to support production at Mulhouse of the 206+ and the two door 308 models also assembled at this facility. This plant export the car under the 207 Compact nameplate to Chile (since 2010), Mexico (2009-2011) and Dominican Republic.

Iran Khodro Company (IKCO), which produces the Peugeot 206 in Iran, has announced the production of the "207i" in sedan and hatchback versions .^[14] In the initial phase, 5,000 Peugeot 207i (206+) cars would be produced by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2010), and will increase to 15,000-20,000 annually. The car will be produced for export to 62 and 16 countries for the sedan and hatchback models respectively.^[15] By 2011, IKCO will produce 90% of its parts domestically.^[16]

206 in rallying

Juuso Pykälistö driving a 206 WRC at the 2003 Swedish Rally

In 1999, Peugeot Sport unveiled the 206 WRC, and it competed for the first time in that year's World Rally Championship, with French tarmac veteran and long-time marque stalwart Gilles Panizzi narrowly failing, against a resurgent reigning champion in Mitsubishi's Tommi Mäkinen, to win the Rallye Sanremo. The car was soon a success, however, and won both the manufacturers' and drivers' championships in 2000, Peugeot's first such accolades since their withdrawal from the WRC after Group B was banned after the 1986 season, and achieved in the hands of Panizzi, Francois Delecour and Mäkinen's successor as drivers' world champion, Marcus Grönholm.

For 2001, Grönholm competed alongside two refugees of SEAT's exit from the championship at the end of 2000; compatriot Harri Rovanperä and the French 1994 world champion, Didier Auriol. Rovanperä and Auriol each contributed single wins, on Swedish Rally and Rally Catalunya respectively (the former to be a sole career win for the Finn, and the latter victory helped by assorted problems for the blisteringly quick debuting Citroën Xsara WRCs), before Auriol left the team at the end of the season. Grönholm, meanwhile, suffered sufficient reliability woes in the first half of the year such that he could manage no higher than fourth overall in the series, although Peugeot did fend off Ford, with a 1-2 result by the two Finns on the season-ending Rally of Great Britain to successfully defend the constructors' championship title.

Grönholm's 206 WRC on display

In 2002, Grönholm – despite now being paired in the factory line-up with defending 2001 champion from Subaru, the Briton Richard Burns – led Peugeot to a repeat of the WRC title double aboard his 206 WRC. His dominance that year was compared to Michael Schumacher's dominance of Formula One. In summary, Peugeot won two drivers' championships, in 2000 and 2002, and three manufacturers' titles in a row between 2000 and 2002. However, by 2003 the 206 WRC was beginning to show its age and was less effective against the competition, notably the newer Xsara WRC and the Subaru Impreza WRC, so it was retired from competition at the end of the season, to be replaced with the 307 WRC, albeit, unlike its predecessor, based not on the production version's hatchback, but its coupé cabriolet body style.

The Peugeot 206 WRC was awarded the Autosport "Rally Car of the Year" in 2002, preceded by the Ford Focus WRC and followed by the Citroën Xsara WRC. Peugeot GB created a Peugeot 206 rally championship aimed at young drivers. The championship was created to help young drivers develop their careers. The cars were built by Vic Lee Racing and drivers such as Tom Boardman, Luke Pinder and Garry Jennings all drove in the championship.

"The Sculptor"

A popular television commercial for the Peugeot 206 created by Giovanni Porro, known as "The Sculptor", involved a young Indian man deliberately damaging a Hindustan Ambassador (including having an elephant sit on it) and then spending the night welding it. The following day, the car emerges as an exact replica of the 206's shape - except with many dents and discolorations. The man then takes his 206 replica driving with friends, with many interested onlookers. The track playing is "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Raja Mushtaq, later remixed as "Husan", by Bhangra Knights.

Sales numbers

Source: PSA Peugeot Citroen^[17]

1998: ? 1999: ? 2000: ? 2001: ? 2002: ? 2003: ?

2004: 795,100 2005: 676,500 2006: 475,100 2007: 308,200 2008: 292,300 2009: 370,800

References

1. ^ "EuroNCAP crash test ratings for the Peugeot 206". Euro NCAP. http://www.euroncap.com/tests/peugeot_206_2000/72.aspx. Retrieved 2007-10-29. 
2. ^ "Peugeot 206 SD to be exported to 30 countries". Payvand. 2006-09-26. http://www.payvand.com/news/06/jun/1273.html. 
3. ^ "Peugeot 206 SD". Iran Khodro. http://www.ikco.com/products/206sd.aspx. Retrieved 2008-02-16. 
4. ^ "Iran Khodro to export Peugeot 206SDs to 39 countries". Payvand. 2006-07-23. http://www.payvand.com/news/06/jul/1213.html. Retrieved 2008-10-28. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Yaohan, Seow (2010-11-04). "2011 Peugeot 207 Sedan Officially Launched In Malaysia". Motorstop Asia. http://news.motorstop.asia/malaysia/2011-peugeot-207-sedan-officially-launched-in-malaysia/. Retrieved 2010-12-04. 
6. ^ "Citroën lance une nouvelle berline compacte en Chine" (in French). Automanie. 2006-11-03. http://www.automania.be/fr/auto/page-4218/citroen-actualites/document-4233.html. 
7. ^ "Peugeot 206 Escapade". Paul Tan. http://paultan.org/archives/2006/11/03/peugeot-206-escapade/. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
8. ^ "Production sites and main indicators". 2010 Sustainable Development and Annual Report. PSA Peugeot Citroën. 2011-05-17. p. 48. http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/document/publication/PSA-2010-Sustainable-Development-and-Annual-Report%5B1%5D1306771715.pdf#page=48. 
9. ^ "Peugeot mostra 206 com frente e painel renovados, chamado de 207 Brasil". Best Cars Web Site. http://www2.uol.com.br/bestcars/un13/278-09.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
10. ^ "O 207 dos emergentes". Best Cars Web Site. http://www2.uol.com.br/bestcars/testes3/peugeot-207-2.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-11. 
11. ^ "Muito barulho por nada". Best Cars Web Site. http://www2.uol.com.br/bestcars/editorial/279.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
12. ^ "Peugeot 207 Brasil: primeiras fotos". Notícias Automotivas. http://www.noticiasautomotivas.com.br/peugeot-207-brasil-primeiras-fotos/. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
13. ^ 2009_peugeot_206_plus (2009-02-23). "2009 Peugeot 206+ Released". The Motor Report. http://www.themotorreport.com.au/20709/2009-peugeot-206-plus-released/. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 
14. ^ "Iran Khodro, Peugeot sign export deal". Presstv.com. 2009-10-01. http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=107558&sectionid=351020102. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
15. ^ "Iran-Khodro to Manufacture Peugeot 207i Abroad". Payvand.com. http://www.payvand.com/news/10/feb/1235.html. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
16. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
17. ^ "PSA". PSA-Peugeot-Citroen.com. 2010-06-30. http://www.psa-peugeot-citroen.com/en/fonctionnelle/automobiles.php. Retrieved 2010-10-15. 

External links

• Official international 206 English website