Peugeot 406 coupe review

Complete the What Car? The Peugeot Coupe is a breath of fresh air.

The Peugeot Coupe is undeniably one of the most attractive coupes ever designed. It's little wonder when the company who penned the design has also designed some of the best looking cars for Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, and Maserati to name a few. Peugeot examples are currently ridiculously cheap for a car that from the outside looks equally at home with the likes of the best of European exotics from the same era, and importantly the design does not seem to have aged. From every angle the Italian flare of Pininfarina is executed to perfection, even better than the Ferrari in my opinion. The coupe is a rare beast, being a unique amalgam of French, Italian and German engineering. The design and the coachwork was built and assembled in Italy using PSA mechanicals, withthe renowned driving suppleness of French suspension which sadly has disappeared in subsequent models , and the glorious smooth power of a V6 tweaked by Porsche in my model.

Peugeot 406 coupe review

Were it not for a hardy few remaining manufacturers, the concept of the traditional coupe would be dead - in Europe, at least. Only the premium manufacturers offer proper coupes these days - think 4-series , A5 , C-class coupe - while a hardy few mainstream brands continue to offer more performance-orientated models, like the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ , the Nissan Z , and the Ford Mustang. For the average customer though, crossovers have taken their place - and the roads are a less attractive place for it. Back in the s you could barely move for stylish mainstream two-doors. Even in its mid-nineties twilight the Peugeot was winning plaudits for its ride and handling, so the , which arrived in the UK in early , had plenty to live up to. Early reviews suggested the Mondeo and Primera rival had hit the mark - and it frequently ranked alongside those two cars in particular for its blend of ride and handling, falling head and shoulders above others in the class. Quality had taken a step up too, while the was offered with a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and a range-topping 2. That bode well for the Coupe that arrived in While identifiable as a member of the family, the new Coupe was altogether more stylish than its four-door counterpart. Not surprising really, given its Pininfarina provenance: the Coupe was both designed and built by Pininfarina in Italy, and had originally been a styling proposal for Fiat - which eventually went with the in-house design composed by Chris Bangle for its own sporty two-door Fiat Coupe. This engine was quickly declared the pick of the range, for its mellifluous if muted engine note, because it suited the character of the car, and because it featured a few choice tweaks over the 2-litre version to wake up the chassis. Tuning for the Coupe was slightly different to the saloon anyway. It used the same layout, comprising MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link rear with coil springs all round , but with 0. V6 models got variable-assistance steering over their 2-litre counterparts, while electronic two-stage dampers were an option. While not badged as such, the shapely seats were made by Recaro and the brakes by Brembo.

Industry Sales.

Rumour has it the model was originally pencilled as part of a bid to tempt Ferrari into the cut-price supercar market. But when the designs failed to sell, the stylists passed them to Peugeot. Never before had such a beautiful machine cost so little. With only 10, sold here, exclusivity is guaranteed - and as the is also good to drive and well equipped, its beauty goes more than skin deep. Fortunately, more durable replacements are available from Peugeot dealers. Regular removal of brake dust from the calipers with an airline helps reduce the noise, so try this if your car draws unwanted attention when you come to a halt. These can both leak coolant.

Back when Peugeots were rear-wheel-drive, it was the bigger cars of the marque that sold strongly in Australia. The , and, even earlier, the and , were all strong performers Down Under, helped no end by the reputation for toughness they forged in around-Australia events in the s. Fast forward to the late s, however, and it's the smaller Peugeots gaining all the attention. The was a favourite of many despite being too expensive and the and also sold well. Among the bigger cars, the was largely ignored by pretty much anybody not a Peugeot nut and the was deemed even more irrelevant. The truth is that both the and lacked any real flair in terms of the driving experience. They were adequate, but that's about it and, given Peugeot's fairly staid styling themes of the time, there was just nothing else to draw attention to them. That changed in , however, when what is possibly Peugeot's prettiest car to date was released in Australia. The Coupe wasn't just attractive, it was an absolute stunner - lines by Italian design house Pininfarina, not an awkward angle in sight. The profile was the highlight and there were hints of Ferrari.

Peugeot 406 coupe review

Were it not for a hardy few remaining manufacturers, the concept of the traditional coupe would be dead - in Europe, at least. Only the premium manufacturers offer proper coupes these days - think 4-series , A5 , C-class coupe - while a hardy few mainstream brands continue to offer more performance-orientated models, like the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ , the Nissan Z , and the Ford Mustang. For the average customer though, crossovers have taken their place - and the roads are a less attractive place for it. Back in the s you could barely move for stylish mainstream two-doors. Even in its mid-nineties twilight the Peugeot was winning plaudits for its ride and handling, so the , which arrived in the UK in early , had plenty to live up to. Early reviews suggested the Mondeo and Primera rival had hit the mark - and it frequently ranked alongside those two cars in particular for its blend of ride and handling, falling head and shoulders above others in the class. Quality had taken a step up too, while the was offered with a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and a range-topping 2.

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Doors and Seats 4 doors, 5 seats. The brakes are Brembos and they are tremendous. A truly beautiful car. Submit Owner Car Review. Apr Possible reduction in braking assistance, plus engine problems. Re-named Peugeot Coupe instead of Coupe. Shop Used Cars. Share review. The Peugeot Coupe is undeniably one of the most attractive coupes ever designed. Not surprising really, given its Pininfarina provenance: the Coupe was both designed and built by Pininfarina in Italy, and had originally been a styling proposal for Fiat - which eventually went with the in-house design composed by Chris Bangle for its own sporty two-door Fiat Coupe. Geelong, VIC.

Rumour has it the model was originally pencilled as part of a bid to tempt Ferrari into the cut-price supercar market.

Submit Owner Car Review. Find a car review. Cars for Sale. Better to drive than a It looked fantastic then, and the baby Ferrari GT design has definitely aged well. That bode well for the Coupe that arrived in Chat with Agent. Oil consumption may be quite high. It has just enough grunt to keep you amused, although it's not fantastic in town. Sell My Car.