Peugeot 406 dimensions

The Peugeot 406 was a mid-sized family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1996 to 2004. The 406 was available in sedan station wagon and coupe body styles with a choice of gasoline or turbo diesel engines.

The car can be seen as a direct descendant of its predecessor, the 405, to which it has a very similar silhouette. It used the same platform as the Citroën Xantia, though without that car's sophisticated hydropneumatic suspension system. The Peugeot 406 was a sales success from its launch, with over 1.5 million units sold.

Peugeot 406 Saloon Car - Click to Get Wallpaper 1024x768 - 142 KBAs was to be expected given Peugeot's long history with diesels, the diesel versions were very popular, and the 406 became one of Europe's best-selling diesel-powered cars. Initially, the car was available with 1.8 L and 2.0 L gasoline and 1.9 L diesel engines, followed by a 110 bhp 2.1 L turbo diesel, turbocharged 2.0 L and 3.0 L gasoline V6 engines.

The turbo diesel engines were replaced by HDi units in 1999. These new generation HDi engines were cleaner, smoother, quieter and 25 percent more economical than the units they replaced.

Although the 406 was not marketed as a sporty vehicle, its engines provided competitive performance. The 3.0 L V6 could match some sports cars for straight line acceleration. Performance figures for this engine have been timed variously between 0-60 mph in 8.5 and 6.9 seconds, the latter time recorded by the UK's Top Gear magazine.