Peugeot 206 1998-2010

The Peugeot 206 is a supermini manufactured by the French automaker Peugeot from 1998 to 2010. Even though the 206 has finished production in most markets as of 2010 (2009 in Europe), it is available as the [URL="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39138"]Peugeot 206+[/URL], with new front and rear treatments that resemble the Peugeot 207.

[B]The project[/B]
During the early 1990s, Peugeot decided not to directly replace the [URL="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27359"]Peugeot 205[/URL], 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. A new supermini was required, and the 206 was launched in 1998 as a somewhat belated replacement for the 205.

Although the 206 naming 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.

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.

[B]Design and engineering[/B]
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.

[B]Overview[/B]
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. [URL="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45819"]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)[/URL], 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).

In 2001, two more versions of the 206 were launched - [URL="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45825"]the 206 CC (coupé convertible)[/URL] 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.