Peugeot 806 (1995-2002) Car Review

Buying an MPV is bewildering. All the main alternatives seem to look the same. Take Peugeot's 806. Most customers in this current MPV era have bought Ford Galaxys or that car's VW or SEAT clones; fine for the driving enthusiasts but in many ways not as practical as the Peugeot with its sliding side doors. The 806 too was cloned (Fiat's Ulysse and Citroen's Synergie are essentially the same car). It is, however, sometimes better specified than its stablemates - depending on the model you choose.

Opinion
Despite reasonably affordable prices, the specification is quite good. There's an airbag in the adjustable driver's steering wheel as well as controls for the four-speaker stereo. In addition, all models got power steering, central locking, an engine immobiliser, front electric windows, adjustable headlamps, tinted glass, front fog lights and, from December 1998, air conditioning.
The SL version could come complete with eight seats, but if you're planning to use them all on a regular basis, it would be as well to consider the optional roof bars and roof box available from dealers since luggage space will be restricted.
Either way, the sliding doors glide back to reveal a wider range of interior permutations than you could shake a stick at. The front seats swivel through 180 degrees to face backwards, the reason being that you can do just about anything you want with the others.
They can be relocated on alternative mountings to maximise legroom or reclined, swiveled, folded, converted into picnic tables and removed altogether. In a few minutes, your 806 can change from family taxi to removal van, executive mile-cruncher to impromptu conference room.
All this from a vehicle that takes up no more space on the road than the average medium range estate car. It sits a fair bit higher of course - and so do you, which takes a little getting used to. After a few miles however, the superb visibility offered by that vast expanse of glass begins to become a boon. Given a few more, you might even get used to the dashboard-mounted gearstick and locate the handbrake (on your right).
In day-to-day use, you and the family will notice a careful selection of thoughtful touches. There's even a sprung holder for the driver's spectacles or sunglasses in the driver's door. Whether you're using your 806 for a small children's party or simply somewhere to sleep, you'll find Peugeot have thought ahead.

By JONATHAN CROUCH.

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Peugeot 206 Coupe Cabriolet (2000-To 2007) Car Review

As the first car to make Mercedes SLK-style folding hardtops accessible to the masses, Peugeot's 206 Coupe Cabriolet deserved success and landed it. Any affordable convertible that can put one over the Mazda MX-5 has to be very special indeed and the 206 CC certainly captured the hearts of thousands of British buyers. Once the novelty of that clever roof had worn off though, the 'early adopters' switched to the next in thing, leaving a healthy stock to choose from on the used market.

Opinion
The problem with most hatchback-based cabriolets is that they've always had an inescapable pram-like quality about them. The stubby proportions, untidy hood mechanisms and inelegant rollover bars made them look about as graceful as an industrial dumpster. That's one accusation that you could certainly never level at the 206 CC. Even with the roof up, it has a cheeky coupe appeal and with the hood down the long rear deck ensures the little Peugeot is svelte enough to avoid any pram-like connotations. The massively popular 206 GTi formed the basis of the car before undergoing some rather serious surgery.
Operating the roof is simplicity itself. Behind the sun visors are a couple of latches which you'll need to unclip before pressing the button next to the handbrake. At this point, a set of electronically controlled hydraulic motors will go to work, lowering the windows, popping up the rear deck before collapsing and folding the roof in on itself. It's then swallowed by the rear bootlid. It's not the quickest operation, taking around 20 seconds, but Peugeot have cleverly let the mechanism continue with the car crawling forwards at up to 7mph. Despite the appeal of the roof, don't get the impression that it's the only aspect of the 206 CC worthy of note.
The interior of the little Peugeot received some welcome attention. One of the complaints regarding the 206 GTi was that with the upright seating position and distant screen, at standstill it felt about as sporty as your average school-run MPV. The 206 CC redressed this somewhat by lowering the seating position, making for a sportier feel. The seats themselves were new to the CC, with firmer side supports and a more adventurous choice of trims, including optional leather.
The rear seats are moulded into the back, and whilst they're attractively styled, leg and headroom isn't the greatest. Best to use them as additional luggage space. You'll probably end up using it as well, because with the roof folded down, it eats into boot space quite disastrously. There's still room for a couple of soft bags, but anything more than that will emerge from the boot looking like it's been in a junkyard crusher. Still, you don't buy a car like the 206 CC for load carrying - you'll want to ditch the excess baggage, travel light and get a little bit closer to the elements. The equipment list will be familiar to owners of other 206 models from this era, but the silver-faced instruments are certainly a bit more stylish than the hackneyed white-faced dials found on lesser 206 derivatives.

By ANDY ENRIGHT.