The nine best Peugeot road cars

Serpollet-Peugeot

Peugeot was founded in 1810 by Jean-Pierre Peugeot, alongside his two sons, Jean-Pierre II and Jean-Frédéric, and they oversaw all of those varied early enterprises. It was Jean-Pierre II’s grandson Armand Peugeot, however, who succeeded in building the first Peugeot car. Named the Serpollet-Peugeot, a nod to the car’s co-creator Léon Serpollet, it seated two, had three wheels, was steered using a tiller and was steam-powered. Very different, then, to the Peugeots of today, but without it, we might not have had any Peugeots at all.

Peugeot Type 2

Less than a year after the Serpollet-Peugeot steam was out and petrol was in, creating this, the Peugeot Type 2. Not only was it powered by gasoline but it had four wheels, bringing it much closer to the format of the road cars the company produces today.

The jump from steam to petrol came after an underwhelming reaction to those early three-wheelers, after which Armand looked for a partner to provide him with a more practical internal combustion engine. He managed to secure a meeting with Gottlieb Daimler (yes, of Daimler Mercedes dame), which in turn led to the creation of the Type 2. Powered by a four-stroke, two-cylinder 565cc engine with 2PS (1.5kw) located under the seat, it drove the rear wheels via a chain and topped out at 11mph. Hardly quick by today’s standards – Peugeot make electric scooters faster than that now – but it was quicker than walking and easier to manage than steam.

Peugeot 201

Peugeot’s lion badge was first used in 1847 on products from the steel works, and while it has undergone many makeovers through the decades it is instantly recognisable and attributable to Peugeot. Just as identifiable to Peugeot is its trademarked nomenclature, formed of three digits with a zero in the middle, a format the company still follows today (admittedly with the addition of some four-digit models). It all began with Peugeot’s first mass-produced car, the 201.

Launched at the 1929 Paris Motor Show, the 201 first used a 1.1-litre engine with a three-speed, worm-drive transmission that powered the rear wheels. With 10PS (7kW) it rivalled similarly powered models from Austin and Morris, but its claim to fame was its suspension, becoming the first car in the world with independent suspension all the way around with the 201C in 1932. Its success gave the company enough money to go on and develop new, three-digit models, including the 301 in 1932 and the 401 and 601 in 1934. And of course, the ‘2’ model line continues to this day, mercifully with a little more than 10PS… 

Peugeot 504 Coupe

Front-engined, rear-wheel-drive, powered by a V6 engine and designed by Pininfarina – going by those details you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d start talking about some kind of sportscar, but no. We’re taking a closer look at the stunning Peugeot 504 Coupe.

The 504 Coupe debuted at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, hooked up to a four-speed manual or a three-speed auto ‘box. The chassis was the same as that of the 504 saloon introduced one year earlier at the Paris show. The engine wasn’t all that powerful, however, at least not for a stylish two-door, with 80PS (59kW), and so in 1970 a new 2.0-litre with 97PS (72kW) or 105PS (78kW), plus a diesel, and then in 1974 a 2.7-litre V6 was flung at it. Finally, the 504 Coupe had the power to match its looks, with 138PS (101kW), not much at all by today’s standards but a decent enough uplift.

It makes this list mainly because of how good looking it is (its looks inspired the insanely good-looking Peugeot E-Legend concept in 2019), but also because it contributed to the 504 family becoming one of the most successful and longest-running production runs ever. Manufacturing in France stopped in 1983, but the 504 was still being built in Kenya until 2004 and in Nigeria until 2006.

Peugeot 205 GTi

When it comes to hot hatchbacks, there are few more iconic than the Peugeot 205 GTi. Launched in April 1984, it had a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with 106PS (78kW), hardly a mesmerising number by today’s figures. But the plucky Peugeot weighed only 900kg, enough for it to hit 62mph in 8.5 seconds. It wasn’t just about straight-line performance, though. In fact, it was all about how the GTi drove and, in case you haven’t guessed by just how highly regarded the 205 GTi remains, it was an absolute belter. The unassisted steering was beautiful, the gearbox delicious, and as well as moderate roll there was grip and balance.

The Golf GTI might have arrived on the scene in 1975, there’s something mighty special about the car with Pepper Pot wheels and the angry lion on the nose.

Peugeot 106 Rallye

Rallying was a big deal in the mid-1990s, more so than it is now, and the sub-1,300cc class was an area where Peugeot wanted in. To do so it needed to homologate a road car, and so it looked to the 106. It had the 106 XSi, but with a 1.4-litre engine, it didn’t make the cut. Enter the 106 Rallye, a 106 with Peugeot’s TU-series four-cylinder motor under the bonnet in 1.3-litre capacity. 

The 106 Rallye had just 101PS (74kW), which doesn’t sound like a lot on paper but the car only weighed 825kg. A basic Peugeot 208 today, by comparison, has the same power but carries 265kg more flab. The top speed was 115mph, and the 106 Rallye also had a firmer suspension set-up than the XSi, as well as a thicker anti-roll bar, making it much sharper to drive. If you’re looking for an attainable homologation road car, this is it. 

Peugeot 306 Rallye

Peugeot made the very logical decision to replace the 305 with the 309 in 1985, which gave it a problem when it came to naming the 309’s successor. Maintaining the number-zero-number naming philosophy, the 306 was launched in 1993. Small, modern and very pretty, it was hit, sharing most of its mechanicals with the slightly older Citroën ZX, including a range of 1.1-, 1.4- and 1.6-litre engines. They were ordinary engines, however, the run of the mill motors. Thankfully, in 1996, some serious spice arrived with the GTi-6. 

The GTi-6 used a 2.0-litre, 16-valve engine with 169PS (124kW) and, as the name might suggest, a six-speed manual gearbox. While that might sound normal today it was one of the first ‘normal’ cars to employ a sixth ratio. You might, however, have noticed this entry is not for the GTi-6. No, we’re here to talk about the 306 Rallye. 

The 306 Rallye was mechanically identical to the GTi-6, but Peugeot threw away the air conditioning, electric windows, fog lights, sunroof and some sound deadening. On top of that, it came with some simple, non-metallic exterior colours (it was either red, white or black), some Rallye graphics, and cloth rather than suede and leather seats a la GTi. The weight saving cut 68kg, making it the sweeter car to drive, and with 500 built and sold for the UK market only it was very rare. The best bit? It was cheaper than the GTi-6, too. 

Peugeot 208 GTi 30^th

The Peugeot 208 GTi was good, but it wasn’t quite as good Ford Fiesta ST good. A great shame, but to look at the other side of the same coin, it was a massive, massive step on from the underwhelming 207 GTi and relatively average 206 GTi. Peugeot worked on the 208 GTi, though, and eventually, it rolled out this, the 208 GTi 30^th.

As the name suggests, this car marked an anniversary, specifically 30 years since the introduction of the 205 GTi. Finished in matte black, with an optional ‘Coupe Franche’ paint job (£800 more but stunning, if you ask us), the 30^th was limited to just 100 cars in the UK and came with 208PS (153kW) rather than 200PS (147kW), as well as 275Nm rather than 300Nm. Alongside the extra shove came a Torsen limited-slip differential, a wider track, 22mm at the front and 16mm at the rear, 10mm lower suspension, new damper settings and spring rates, different cambers and wheel alignments, 18-inch wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres that were half an inch wider than before, and larger Brembo front brakes, measuring 323mm. It even produced less CO₂ than the standard car. Want, want, want.

Peugeot 308 GTi

Peugeot was on a roll. The 208 GTi was terrific, and then this rolled out: the Peugeot 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport. Making its world debut at the 2015 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, the 308 GTi was 11mm lower than the standard 308, benefited from wider front and rear tracks, adjusted damper, spring and anti-roll bar settings, plus a racier interior. It even came with the ‘Coupe Franche’, albeit in reverse compared to the 208 GTi and for £1,300.

There was one option you had to tick, however. The 308 GTi (we’ll drop the ‘by Peugeot Sport’ for simplicity’s sake) had a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with either 250PS (184kW) or 270PS (199kW). That’s right, you had a choice of power outputs, which meant 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds or 6.0 seconds respectively. But more than that, the 270 model came with an aggressive Torsen limited-slip differential, ‘Carbone’ 19-inch wheels which were 2.3kg lighter per corner and shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, and huge 380mm Alcon front disc brakes. The 270, then, was a very different car to drive – more engaging, faster, better handling and much better stopping. A beast, and another knock-out hot hatch.