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Russell Williamson1 May 2002
REVIEW

Peugeot 206cc

Peugeot's latest addition to its baby 206 range may offer all the style of a hardtop coupe and drop top convertible in one but as Russell Williamson explains, its split personality doesn't quite translate in the driving experience

Despite popular perceptions, Mercedes-Benz was not the first car-maker to introduce a steel folding roof to create a car for the best of both worlds - top up or down - when it released the SLK.

For at the 1935 Paris motor show, Peugeot unveiled a 402 with a similar, if somewhat less sophisticated steel folding roof that provided the car's occupants with a weather-proof, safe and secure hardtop for the winter and a drop top for summer evenings cruising the boulevards above the Seine.

Now 67 years later, the French car-maker has reintroduced the concept in the little 206CC, transforming its small hatch into a coupe and convertible in one. And it is not about to stop there with a CC version of the 307 expected to hit the streets of Europe, and possibly Australia, before the end of next year.

The 206CC essentially replaces the stylish but flawed 306 convertible and with a $39,990 price tag at launch, on a cost and configuration basis, competes with the likes of Renault's Megane Cabriolet, Mazda MX-5 and Toyota MR2.However, in some ways it sits alone and unfortunately doesn't quite come together as either a sports convertible or a drop-top cruiser.

From a styling point of view, it certainly looks the part and is guaranteed to draw stares on the trendiest strips across the country, top up or down, but from a driving or packaging perspective, its market may narrow. It is $5,000 cheaper than the Mazda and Toyota but doesn't have their raw sports performance, and while it is lineball on price with the Renault, the 206's two sculpted rear seats are little more than cloth covered luggage spaces with seatbelts. Even the smallest children wouldn't squeeze in with the front seats adjusted for reasonable comfort.

Peugeot admits that the CC is no sports car, despite the top spec model we tested sharing its 2.0-litre engine with the 206 GTi, but it still packs a healthy performance quotient, although you have to work at it.

The car has put on over 100kg with its simple and quick to use roof and extra body stiffening, which has taken the edge off the 100kw and 190Nm peak outputs from the engine and made the fact that these peak quite high in the rev band more noticeable. Translated onto the road, this means that the car pulls away strongly off the mark but it needs to be revving over about 3500rpm before there is any degree of fun involved.

To keep the revs in the mid range requires regular shifting of the five-speed which unfortunately suffers from a notchy action with long throws that is not the best for regular use.

Being based on the 206, the handling is competent with plenty of grip but the loss of the roof comes into play with the car losing some of the hatch's composure through greater flex in the body.

The suspension has been retuned for a more compliant ride but is still firm, and over rough suburban roads at low speeds borders on being irritating if not quite uncomfortable. And this is where its appeal as funky cruiser starts to fade. The less than cruisy ride is accentuated by the flex in the body, which although is a vast improvement over the appalling 306 convertible, is still enough to give the impression that the car lacks refinement.

The roof tends to creak and groan a bit, and there's quite a bit of engine noise when revved. However, you can turn up the superb CD stereo to cover it. For the money, the car is not lacking in equipment with safety covered by ABS and four airbags, and comfort catered for with power windows, mirrors and roof, climate control, remote locking and automatic lights and windscreen wipers.

The 206CC isn't the most fun to drive among its rivals nor is it the easy comfortable cruiser embodied by four seat soft tops, but it certainly looks the business and for many buyers, that is enough.

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Written byRussell Williamson
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