- Name
- Peugeot 306
- Aliases
Peugeot 306
The Peugeot 306 is a small family car built by the French car manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2002. It replaced the 309.
It took Peugeot a number of years to come up with a true successor to the legendary 205 GTI, but when the 306 GTI-6 finally arrived in 1996 it didn't disappoint. Powered by a two-litre 16 valve engine that produces 167BHP at 6,500rpm, the 306 is the most powerful hot hatch of its type and the most powerful production car ever built at Peugeot's UK production plant. The engine produces enough grunt to push the 306 from 0-60mph in 8.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 137mph. In a first for a car in its class, the 306 also boasts a six-speed manual gearbox. Originally designed by Peugeot for competition purposes, engineers decided that its closer ratios (compared with the standard five-speed box) would further improve the sports credentials of the GTI-6. Fortunately, Peugeot's renowned chassis engineering ensures the 306 handles as well as it goes. On the front, it utilises pseudo-MacPherson type struts with wishbones and anti-roll bar, while at the rear, Peugeot's innovative self-steering rear axle is incorporated to stabilise the car in bends. Brakes have been uprated according to the car's performance with 28cm discs on the front and rear and a four-sensor ABS system. The GTI also gets 6Jx15 rims made of light alloy and 195/55R15 tyres, although there is little else to distinguish it from the rest of the range on the outside. Despite the fact that it has now been around for several years, according to the press, the 306 is still the best handling hot hatch around. The GTI-6 is also joined by the Rallye version which boasts the same running gear, but a stripped down interior to reduce weight by 16kg and thereby improve performance.