Peugeot 206 GTi 2001 Review

When it comes to looks this little car is a sex kitten. Sleek and well proportioned, it's the sort of car that you could imagine purring when you run your hand across it. However, like any good feline, there's a side to the thing that's more than ready to scratch and spit when the mood takes it.

SO WHAT IS IT?
Think Peugeot 206 with a 2-litre, 4-valve engine making 102kW at 6000rpm and 194Nm of torque at 4100rpm. It has sixteen inch alloy wheels, colour coded bits and bobs, sports suspension and four wheel discs. Naturally it has a host of other stuff that you'd expect from a top line hot rod hatch - basically there's not a lot missing for the thirty big ones you'd have to part with to own one.

WHAT'S IT GO LIKE?
This car is such a laugh! Like the lower spec XT which was a hoot, the GTi is so much more because it's a car that's as keen on misbehaving as you are. The engine loves to rev, and although it not what I'd call a quick revver, hangs on the throttle making satisfying power and jumping out of corners with considerable panache.

In the fun stuff where the corners are no more than fifty metres apart, and wind around as God intended, the handling is both precocious and forgiving. Turn the wheel and the car turns with ease and accuracy. There's little in the way of body roll and the suspension delivers plenty of feedback to the driver. It's not easy to get the little Pug out of shape, but if you do start the car slithering across the camber, it's easy to control on the throttle and you never feel that things are going to turn ugly.

The five speed gearbox is nice and precise, and the ratios are well chosen, allowing low speed tootling about that your maiden aunt would approve of - and the boys in blue insist on. The clutch is just like the other 206 in that it bites right at the top of the travel which makes hanging on the friction point a bit of a pain, but you get used to that fairly quickly.

The brakes are plenty powerful and more than capable of nailing the car to the planet through the 205/45 R16 V rated tyres. They are, however, a bit grabby and can result in undignified stopping that leaves you feeling like you're not really in tune with the vehicle.

Which brings me to the driving position and equipment. This is a small car and you'll have to accept that once in the seat, you are more or less slotted into position rather than lounging about in armchair-like comfort. In truth the seat adjustment is good and the general position and feel is comfortable, but there's a fly in the soup, the foot pedals are simply too close together.

Operate the clutch and brake together and you'll need to use the side of your foot to work the brake, as putting your plates flat together is all but impossible. Inadvertent operation of two controls is not something you need or should have to put up with. Mind you, if you regularly buy footwear with a number below 5 on the inside you'll be fine.

Equipment is good and easy to operate, although the column mounted radio control stick is not as simple to use as other manufacturer systems. In terms of room there's only really room for two, anyone getting in the back will either have to be very small or only traveling a short distance.

IS IT THIRSTY?
These days how much fuel gets sucked through the motor is a key purchasing factor and once again Peugeot have produced a car with stunning economy. The base model 206 was astounding, returning 16.4km/l on test, and the GTi version was not far off the same. It recorded an equally praiseworthy 14.2km/l from driving like a giggling loon, to the stop start misery of peak hour commuting. This puts Peugeots hot hatch into budget micro car territory, and is something the competition will have to work hard to match.

SUMMARY
The Peugeot 206 GTi is a terrific small car that is easy on the eye, easy on the pocket to run, and immensely satisfying to own and drive. It's not a family car, nor a commuter hatch, nor a full-on sports car. It's a mixture of all three and a lot more beside. It's a French mistress, chic and adorable, with enough rudeness to make it exciting. Je t'adore!