Peugeot 406
French large family car with a record-breaking diesel run.
The Peugeot 406, a large family car, rolled off French production lines from 1995 to 2004. It took over from the 405 and later gave way to the 407, offered as a saloon, estate, or coupé with petrol or turbodiesel engines. Its styling leaned heavily on the 405, which was phased out in Europe by 1997. UK sales kicked off in February 1996. The car found particular success in Britain, where many units ended up as company cars or taxis. In August 2002, a 406 HDi set a world record by covering 2,348 km across Australia from Melbourne to Rockhampton on a single tank of fuel. Knock-down kits were also assembled in Bangkok, Thailand.
Initial trim levels were SR, ST, and top-spec SV, with optional extras like electric memory seats, a rain sensor, variable electronic suspension, speed-sensitive power steering, and a rear windscreen wiper on the saloon. A factory body kit was available. The front suspension used an inverted MacPherson setup, while the rear featured a new, model-exclusive multilink design called RS10, with three transverse control arms and a longitudinal arm. This system could produce more negative toe on the outer wheel for cornering stability and more negative camber when the rear lifted under emergency braking.
The two-door coupé, designed and built by Pininfarina, debuted at the 1996 Paris Motor Show. The design had originally been offered to Fiat around 1990, but Fiat rejected it. Engine choices were a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, a 3.0-litre V6, and from mid-2001, a 2.2-litre HDi diesel. A total of 107,633 coupés were made. It shared the saloon and estate platform and suspension, but with upgrades: a 16 mm wider track from specific rims, an extra 36 mm at the rear from different spindles and lower control arms, and a 16 mm lower ride height. The V6 also got a 26 mm front strut brace and 305 mm Brembo four-pot calipers. Inside, the dashboard, centre console, and steering wheel were the same, but all coupés had a five-gauge instrument panel with chrome rings.
Petrol engines included a 1.6 8V, 1.8 16V, 2.0 16V, 2.0 8V turbo, and a 3.0-litre (2946 cc) V6 24V. Diesels were a 1.9 8V turbodiesel, a 2.1 12V turbodiesel, and a 2.0 HDi 8V.
A facelift for the saloon arrived in February 1999, improving safety, strength, and speed, which boosted its Euro NCAP rating from one star to three.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Peugeot
- Aka
- Peugeot Coupé
- Production
- 1995–2004 (France) / 1996–2008 (Egypt) / 1997–2005 (Coupé)
- Assembly
- France: Sochaux (Sochaux Plant) / Italy: Grugliasco & San Giorgio (Pininfarina: Coupé) / Egypt: Cairo (AAV) / Indonesia: Jakarta / Nigeria: Kaduna / Thailand: Lat Krabang (Yontrakit)
- Designer
- Laurent Rossi (saloon) (1991) / Davide Arcangeli and Lorenzo Ramaciotti at Pininfarina (coupé)
- Class
- Large family car (D)
- Layout
- Front engine, front-wheel-drive
- Related
- Citroën Xantia
- Transmission
- 4-speed AL4 automatic / 4-speed ZF 4HP20 automatic (V6 only) / 5-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- 2700 mm
- Length
- 4555 mm (saloon) / 4736 mm (estate) / 4615 mm (coupé)
- Height
- 1396 mm
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The styling of the 406 was heavily influenced by its predecessor, the 405, which began to be phased out from the 406's launch in September 1995 and finished production in Europe in 1997. The initial design of the coupé was originally offered to Fiat by Pininfarina around 1990, only for Fiat to reject it and design its own coupé. The two-door coupé, launched at the 1996 Paris Motor Show, was both designed and manufactured by Pininfarina, with a choice of 2.0 L four-cylinder or 3.0 L V6 petrol engines, and from mid-2001 a 2.2 L HDi diesel. The coupé shared the same platform and suspension as the saloon and estate but with upgrades including a wider track, lowered ride height, and on V6 models a front strut brace and Brembo brakes.
The facelifted saloon was introduced in February 1999, bringing improved Euro NCAP performance from one star to three stars, new engine families (EW/DW) with greater power and efficiency, and a direct-injected petrol engine called HPi. The interior was updated with automated digital climate control, a multi-function display, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Halfway through 2001, an important update implemented the PSA and Renault developed VAN bus, recognisable by updated steering column stalks combining radio and cruise control, and a new 2.2 HDi 16-valve diesel with DPF appeared. The coupé received similar interior and technical updates, and its engine range grew to four with the addition of the 2.2 petrol and 2.2 HDi.
The 406 competed in several Supertouring championships from 1996 to 2004. Laurent Aïello won the 1997 ADAC Deutsche Super Touren Wagen-Cup, while William David won the French Touring Car Championship in 1999 and 2000. Cacá Bueno and Emiliano Spataro shared the 1999 South American Super Touring Car Championship after tying in points, wins and remaining tiebreakers. The 406 Supertouring was also used in the British Touring Car Championship between 1996 and 2004, and as a silhouette in the French Touring Car Championship, winning the 2002 and 2004 titles with Soheil Ayari.
Reader's Guide
The Peugeot 406 holds significance as a successful large family car that established Peugeot in the UK fleet market, with many units serving as company cars and taxis. Its engineering achievements include a world record for the longest distance driven on a single tank of fuel, set in August 2002 by a 406 HDi travelling 2,348 km across Australia from Melbourne to Rockhampton. The car's rear suspension, the model-exclusive RS10 multilink, was designed to produce more negative toe on the outer wheel for cornering stability and more negative camber when the rear end rises under emergency braking. The 406 also earned multiple awards, including the 1997 What Car? Car of the Year, the 1997 and 2001 Caravan Club Towcar of the Year, and the Semperit Irish Car of the Year for 1997, though it lost the 1996 European Car of the Year award by a narrow 15-point margin to the Fiat Bravo/Brava. In motorsport, the 406 competed in Supertouring championships globally from 1996 to 2004, winning titles in Germany, France, and South America, and later as a silhouette racer in the French Touring Car Championship. Knock-down kit versions were built at the Yontrakit Industrial Factory in Bangkok, Thailand.
Did You Know?
- The coupé was designed and manufactured by Pininfarina after Fiat rejected the design.
- A 406 HDi set a world record in 2002 by driving 2,348 km on a single tank of fuel across Australia.
- The rear suspension, called RS10, used three transverse control arms and a longitudinal arm.
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