2004 Peugeot 206 GTi 180 review from UK and Ireland

Car failed to start at a Petrol station, returning a measly 'clicking' noise. Car was push started and has yet to repeat this problem! Cause is unknown but may have been a poor battery connection/alternator issue.

'Anti-pollution fault' appeared one day after a 60 mile motorway journey. Disconnected battery for one minute and problem went away. Hasn't occurred since.

Electric mirrors don't always open first time and need some convincing but will work eventually.

Front passenger seat may not return to it's original position and lock in when folded forward on some occasions - problem is cured eventually with some convincing.

After the launch of the 205 GTi in 1984, Peugeot have since found it difficult to tickle the taste buds of adrenaline seeking drivers. The 206 GTi never really caught on as an epic hot hatch and many classic motoring junkies treasure their ever deteriorating examples of the 205 today.

Today, the goals have changed quite a bit. With manufacturers ever trying to reduce their carbon footprint and 'eco' becoming the new buzz word in todays market, it is unsurprising that the new 207 GTi sports a measly 1.6 engine that produces less horsepower, on paper, than its predecessor.

Of course, many will argue that power is not the be all end all of motoring. The 207 GTi packs quite a punch with it's 'overboost' torque of 195lb/ft and with a constant, 'tamed' delivery across a wide power band, the case for it is convincing once you consider it can top a combined figure of 40mpg.

So why would anyone sensible want a 206 GTi 180? It has a much bigger engine, a much bigger carbon footprint and economy that would scare Richard Branson's accountant.

Well, no one sensible would. But then, no one who enjoys the thrill of driving and the rush of power is sensible in todays world.

This was the party piece of Peugeot's small hatchback range and back in 2003, the 2.0 EW10JS engine was the most highly tuned naturally aspirated engine Peugeot offered. With 180 Horsepower on tap at a mighty 7000rpm and VVT thumping an urge of power from 4000rpm all the way to the redline, the GTi 180 is more of a untamed terrier.

The car itself is reasonably well specced for a GTi model, sporting 17" Vortex alloys, comfy bucket seats, colour coding, climate control, a 6-CD changer and a reasonably forgiving suspension considering it is a sports hatch. Most of us, however, will be wanting to purchase the GTi Terrier for it's '180 Horsepower'.

I put it in quotations because Peugeot don't actually claim it is 180 horsepower, rather they round 177 metric horsepower to 180. So actually, the car is supposed to produce 174 horsepower standard.

In reality, many 'Terriers' rarely see this figure and common power outputs range anything from as low as 160bhp to a somewhat asthmatic 170bhp. My car was one of the luckier ones to produce 169bhp on a rolling road.

It doesn't end there though. Although the torque figure is claimed at '152lb/ft peak', the actual peak figure is nearer 149lb/ft, with many cars producing between 140-150lb/ft. My car produced 143lb/ft.

So, surprised why some reviews find it difficult to match Peugeot's 0-60 times? I wouldn't be. Expect anywhere between 7-8 seconds in standard configurations. The lack of power under 4000rpm means the Peugeot Terrier requires some convincing to hunt its prey but beware - the Terrier is far from safe.

The EW10JS engine has quite a bit more potential to be reached in peak power and torque as well as the delivery potential of the engine.

We fitted a GSR Induction Kit for this car which was designed from bottom up to greatly enhance torque and benefit peak power. With a reprgramming of the ECU, we saw 187bhp and 164lb/ft of torque. Most important was the huge improvement in drivability of the car, with over 85% of peak torque available from 2000rpm!

The result? The underfed baby Terrier evolves into a full grown Sighthound! Prodding the throttle returns a very amicable surge of low end torque from 2000rpm to 4000rpm, although the Sighthound seems to suffer from some lag - possibly overfuelling between 3000-3500rpm resulting in a slight dip of torque but a huge boost in exhaust noise - warning of the impending dangers perhaps.

Push even harder and the Sighthound leaps into action above 4000rpm. The exhaust noise changes and the car pulls hard all the way to 6500rpm. There is definitely more to be had from the Sighthound. Exhaust work will follow...

Being a very small, reasonably light weight hatch, the torquey maneuverability of the car impresses the most. The suspension is excellent with tonnes of grip in any given road condition. Be it a Terrier or Sighthound, this car wants to be driven hard.

While stand-still acceleration is not mind boggling due to the longer gear ratios (44mph in 1st gear), second gear acceleration compensates, bringing my cars 0-60 time to around 6.6 seconds!

So if you are sensible, stay away from this car - you won't enjoy it one bit. However, if you want to play, the Terrier will play along with much more fun than the new 207 GTi. While average fuel consumption figures of 24-30mpg will bite more than the hefty Road Tax and insurance costs (being group 17), the 206 Terrier delivers fun enough to surprise the most confident driver and, with proper modifications, keep many sports hatches in check.