Captivating charm

Peugeot 206 Model tested: Two-litre GTi (five-speed manual). Cost: $29,990. Average economy: eight litres per 100km. Sunroof: $1030 Leather seats: $2575

I have just returned from an extended holiday in the UK. And considering the French and the Poms have never been bosom buddies, I was amazed at the number of Peugeot 206s and Citroen C3s on the overcrowded English roads.

Although Peugeot’s GTi has been around for some years, and is no longer the performance model in the range, it is still an excellent seller.

The 206 variants range from just under $20,000 for the 1.4-litre manual five-door to about $35,000 for the hot GTi 180.

Even at first glance, I could not help but be captivated by the GTi’s curvaceous body, the striking alloys shod with Good Year Eagle tyres and the bright metallic blue paintwork sparkling in the bright winter sunshine.

Engine/transmission

The GTi is equipped with a very flexible and tractable two-litre engine.

I found you could lug around at 1500 revs in fourth gear with little difficulty, yet a squirt of the throttle saw the little Pug move forward at a very respectable rate of knots. The 0-100km/h dash can be handled in less than nine seconds.

The five-speed manual has a rather long throw between changes, but it is smooth and precise. Suspension design has always been one of Peugeot’s strong points and it was obvious the chassis was more than capable of handling the GTi’s 100 kW.

Safety/brakes

Driver/passenger and side air bags combined with ABS and Brake Force Distribution (EBFD) ensure the safety elements are in place.
I tried one emergency high-speed braking and the ventilated front discs and rear discs pulled up the hatch very quickly and without fuss.

Economy

Economy is not something you can easily measure on a performance hatch, but with reasonably judicious handling of the throttle, eight litres every 100 km can be expected.

Comfort/goodies

The leather and cloth front seats were extremely comfortable and very supportive, especially for spirited driving.

The test car was fitted with a superb sun roof (an extra thousand but well worth the money), which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I also appreciated the very clear and easily read white-backed dials.

Thank goodness Peugeot has not gone down the fashion route and produced a dash layout where controls are not easily accessible and difficult to read.

The sound system with a single CD player was up to par for a car costing $30,000.

Negatives

Not many. The foot pedals are a little close together and the driving position takes some adjustment.

Of course, it is a small hatch with a limited boot space.

But, with the rear seats down there is ample luggage area.

Summary

I really enjoyed my short test of the GTi and I can understand why one uniformed owner said she was totally rapt in her car.

It is a driver’s car and very much at home on tight, winding roads.

Although enthusiastic drivers will use the gears to keep the two-litre engine on the boil, the torque developed is more than adequate for less frenetic travel.