Badged ‘RC’ in Europe but ‘GTi’ here (because of the UK), the ‘180’ as the name suggests pushes out 180 bhp so the 2 litre, four cylinder car is quick, very quick. The sprint to 60 mph is done in 7.4 seconds while top speed is 137 mph.
On the outside, the ‘180’ looks the part, thankfully falling short of what the ‘baseball hat brigade’ (car modifiers) would do to it. Seventeen inch alloys and rubber band like low profile tyres look the part but mind those kerbs when parking.
Twin exhaust pipes, carbon fibre wing mirrors and subtle rear hatch spoiler signals the car’s intent in a very 1990’s hatchback way. Inside the 206 you’ll find gorgeous leather seats and alcantara/suede trim, but unfortunately the top of the dash still has that nasty hard plastic found in all 206s.
My other pet hate with the 206 is the windscreen wipers, which haven’t been switched over for right hand drive cars – they wipe the wrong way! All is forgiven though when you turn the ignition (if you can find the tiny obscured slot in the first place!).
The GTi 180 is a bit of a wolf in wolf’s clothing. The rev limiter sits at 7,000 rpm and is easily hit, as power delivery is very smooth. 202Nm of torque/pulling power is available, making high-speed caravaning a possibility.
There is very little torque steer despite all that power being delivered through the front wheels. The 180 gets improved gear ratios with second gear up shortened while first gear is lengthened to make the car more usable about town.
The ride is firm and best suited to smooth surfaces. The car’s designers thought of fitting a six-speed gearbox but felt the turning circle would suffer too much so there is a five speed with a shortened throw (which in fact could be shorter). 33 mpg is realistic too.
There is no denying the popularity of the cute 206 with over 3.3 million units sold. This puts the 206 at number three in the company’s best seller’s list, just behind the 504 and the number one 205.
The Peugeot 206 GTi 180 is yours for €29,750.
- Michael Sheridan
RTÉ Guide
