Peugeot 106

Peugeot 106 at a glance

The 106 is listed with all its successors in our Peugeot catalogue.

Generations and model history

The 106 had one generation in two phases. Peugeot launched the three-door in continental Europe in September 1991 and in the UK two months later. The five-door followed in August 1992, together with a 1.4 diesel. After about a year the carburettor 1.0 and 1.1 engines gave way to fuel injection, and in late 1994 the 1.5 diesel replaced the 1.4.

The Phase II facelift of July 1996 added side impact bars and driver and passenger airbags, and made the car 114 mm longer. It arrived a few months after Citroën launched the Saxo in January 1996, which was nearly identical in size and appearance. When the 206 arrived at the end of 1998, Peugeot slimmed the 106 range and sold it with simpler, cheaper editions such as the Zest series. Production ended in July 2003, two years before the 107 was launched.

Engines, transmissions and performance

The 1.0 and some early 1.1 cars had a four-speed manual gearbox; all others used a five-speed manual, and a few engines could be ordered with an automatic. ADAC lists the 1.6 16V S16 at 0-100 km/h in 8.7 seconds and 205 km/h, with a kerb weight of 1,025 kg. All 106s have independent suspension with MacPherson struts at the front and compact transverse torsion bars at the rear.

The Rallye and the GTI

The Rallye was built for the 1,300 cc rally class. The Phase I car used a high-revving 1.3 with Magneti Marelli multi-point injection and a short-ratio five-speed gearbox; Peugeot removed power steering, central locking and electric windows to bring the weight down to 825 kg. Steel wheels painted white and Rallye decals marked it out, and the slogan was "fewer frills, more thrills". The Phase II Rallye switched to an 8-valve 1.6 with 76 kW (103 PS).

The GTI joined the range with the 1996 facelift as the successor to the 205 GTI, which had ended in 1994. Its 16-valve 1.6 produces 87 kW (118 PS), and it gained a body kit and new wheels. Some European markets badged it S16 or Rallye.

106 Électrique

Developed and built with Heuliez, the 106 Électrique arrived in 1995. A Leroy Somer DC motor delivered 20 kW for short periods and 11 kW continuously, and twenty liquid-cooled Saft nickel-cadmium batteries gave an official range of 100 km and a top speed of 90 km/h. A diesel-fired heater helped preserve range in winter. Peugeot had hoped to sell 15,000-20,000 a year; in the end 6,400 were sold between 1995 and 2003, most of them to French public authorities. The Citroën AX and Saxo Électrique used the same motor.

Dimensions, space and boot

For comparison with a modern small car, the size comparison tool puts the 106 next to any model in our catalogue.

Fuel economy and running costs

ADAC lists the 1.6 16V S16 at 8.1 l/100 km on the NEDC cycle, a figure that reflects its sporty tuning. The 1.1 petrol and the 1.5 diesel were the economical choices, but the sources we used do not give reliable official consumption figures for them. Many mechanical parts are shared with the Citroën AX and Saxo.

Trims, equipment and prices

Early cars were basic, and a radio was optional on some versions. Trim levels included XN, XR, XT and XSi, with XND, XRD, XTD and XLD for diesels, and after 1998 the Zest, Zest 2 and Zest 3. Special editions included Kid, Graduate, Independence, Quiksilver, Color Line, Open, Equinoxe and Pop Art. On right-hand-drive cars power steering was not available on Phase I, and air conditioning was never offered because of packaging constraints.

ADAC's converted German list prices give an idea of the range: the 1.0 XN three-door with a four-speed gearbox cost EUR 8,610 (1992), the 1.6 XSi EUR 14,822 (1994) and the 1.6 16V S16 EUR 15,543 (1996). Classic small Peugeots are covered in our classic cars section.

Safety

The Phase I 106 had no airbags; driver and passenger airbags and side impact bars came with the Phase II update in July 1996. We found no Euro NCAP result for the 106 in the sources used for this article, so we do not quote a star rating.

Reliability and known issues

The sources used here do not document model-specific faults, so we do not list any. On any car of this age, a careful inspection of bodywork and suspension and a documented service history matter more than the badge, and Rallye and GTI models should be checked for signs of hard use.

Motorsport

The 106 raced in the British National Saloon Car Cup in the early 1990s; Olympic decathlete Daley Thompson won his class at Thruxton in 1993. It ran in the Nürburgring 24 Hours every year from 1993 to 2003 and in the Spa 24 Hours from 1997 to 1999, with 11th place in 1998 as its best result.

Rivals

Rival figures are approximate. Our comparison tool gives full data.

Photo gallery