The Peugeot 306 is a small family car built by the French car manufacturer
Peugeot from 1993 to 2002. It replaced the 309. Peugeot gave the 306 many
updates and aesthetic changes to keep up with the competition, and it was
replaced by the 307 in 2001. Cabriolet and estate versions continued until
2002. Versions were built in Argentina by Sevel.
Background The 306 was developed between 1990 and
1992 ready for the 1993 model year. It was a replacement for the Peugeot 309.
Mechanically, the 306 is virtually identical to the Citroën ZX, which was
launched two years before the 306: both cars use the same floorpan and core
structure. The 306, with its attractive Peugeot 205 derived Pininfarina styling,
was a more successful car than its twin. The Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner
were also built on the same platform. The chassis used by the 306 and ZX was
also used in the ZX's replacement, the Citroën Xsara. The sharing of platforms
between Peugeot and Citroën has been parent company PSA Peugeot Citroën
policy since the late 1970s, after the Peugeot takeover of the then bankrupt
Citroen in the wake of the 1974 oil crisis. The first car being the Peugeot
104 based Citroën Visa and Citroën LNA and Talbot Samba. The policy continues
today throughout the Peugeot and Citroën ranges. The entry level Peugeot 107,
Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo though are a Toyota Design, rather than a PSA one.
306 Phase 1 The 306 was released in March 1993 as a
3- and 5-door hatchback, with saloon and cabriolet models being introduced later.
The Phase 1 model was known as the N3 in Australia, and introduced in 1994.
A bewildering array of different model types were offered during the life of
the Phase 1 model, including Genoa, XSS, X, XT, XRdt and Xd. Later were added
various 'performance' models, such as the S16, XSi and GTI-6 and the D-Turbo
S. All variants of the 306, with the
exception of the GTI-6 and cabriolet models, were priced very competitively.
= Petrol engines= The initial petrol engines used were
proven four-cylinder units, which had gained a solid reputation in Peugeot
models such as the 205, 309 and 405. At first, all mainstream models were
powered by derivatives of the TU series 8-valve engine, in 1.1, 1.4 and 1.6
litre guises. The 1.1 was dropped quickly, but the 1.4 and particularly
the 1.6 variants sold well; the latter offering a good balance between
performance and economy. Three larger-capacity units were
available, but restricted to automatic and performance models. These engines
were developments of the larger XU series units which had been used in the
205 GTi 1.9, and larger 405 models. A 1.8 litre version powered cars with both
manual and automatic transmission; while two versions of the 2.0 litre engine in
8- and 16-valve guises powered the XSi and S16 models respectively. In
Australia, the only engines available were the 1.8 and 2.0L engines.
= Diesel engines= Peugeot had an excellent reputation for
its diesel engines, and the 306 was originally offered with the XUD series
diesel engine in both normally aspirated and turbocharged forms. This engine was
initially a 1769cc unit, but its capacity was soon enlarged to 1905cc.
The turbocharged version quickly gained a reputation for being a good match for
the exceptional handling of the 306. Not only did its outright performance match
many similarly sized petrol cars – almost certainly a first for an
affordable mainstream diesel – but the carefully designed installation ensured
its considerable extra weight did not upset the car's handling. The Indirect
Injection XUD Diesel that uses the Ricardo Comet combustion chamber design,
is popular for conversion to run on vegetable oil, so long as the Bosch Fuel
System is fitted to the engine. = Chassis design=
The familiar range of PSA powertrains drove the front wheels of a seemingly
conventionally designed chassis. At the front was a standard MacPherson strut
layout with anti-roll bar, while the rear used the PSA Peugeot-Citroën fully
independent trailing arm/torsion bar set up that was first introduced on the
Peugeot 305 estate. However, PSA's chassis engineers employed some unusual
features, including passive rear wheel steering, though less than on the ZX,,
and in-house developed and constructed shock absorbers. At high mileages this
is prone to wear of the axle mounting bushes which is easily fixed. It is also
prone to wear in the rear axle trailing arm bearings, which then wear the
trailing arm axle tubes, requiring an expensive rebuild or a replacement axle
assembly. The diesel and larger capacity petrol engines are canted as far back as
possible in the engine bay, in an effort to put as much weight as possible behind
the front axle line, also reducing the centre of gravity, while improving
weight distribution and minimising understeer.
= Versions= Trim levels were XN, XL, XR, XT and XS;
XN being the most basic, and XT the highest specification. The XT was
available in 5-door only, with the XR, XN and XL available in 3-door too. The
D-Turbo and XSi were available in both 3- and 5-door, the XS and S16 only
available in 3-door. There were no longer "X/G" designations. A diesel
model could be identified with the addition of "d" after the spec level,
and a turbodiesel with the addition of "dt". There were special edition
versions too, badged "Alpine" from 1994..
Sedan models Sedan specification was marked as SN,
SL, SR, and ST. The sedan model, for many motorists provided an alternative
to the domination of the car markets by hatchbacks and was hailed at the time by
Jeremy Clarkson amongst others. The sedan model was compared by British
motoring magazine What Car? as being an inferior "Brother" to the Peugeot 405,
but this is questionable; the 306 had a more sophisticated suspension design,
and the build quality was said to be better.
This model was on sale until 2002 in European markets, but it was
discontinued for 1999 in the United Kingdom market.
Performance models Peugeot created a D-Turbo "hot hatch"
version, which was essentially a petrol XS model with the diesel unit installed.
The 306 was not the first mainstream affordable performance diesel, with that
plaudit arguably going to the MkII VW Golf GTD of the mid-1980s. However, the
306 D-turbo was the first to be commercially successful and sell in
significant numbers, and this success effectively created the market for such
performance oriented diesel cars. It was a popular seller in all its various
phases throughout the life of the car. Most D-Turbo cars were 3 door models,
but there are a few rare examples of the 5-door D-Turbo.
The D-Turbo and XS variants were fitted as standard with front fog lights,
body-coloured bumpers with deeper spoilers, sports seats and different
steering wheel, and a wider, chromed exhaust tailpipe; 14-inch alloy wheels
were an optional extra. The models fitted somewhere between the XR and XT
variants in terms of standard equipment. The XSi 8v 2.0 Petrol had the addition
of subtle side skirts. 15-inch five spoke alloy wheels were available as an
option when the model was launched, and became standard shortly after.
The S16 was a Phase 1-only model replaced with the more powerful GTI-6 in
1996. The engines were 16-valve XU-series units with Magnetti Marelli
fuel injection and produced excellent power and torque outputs for the time.
As well as gaining a close-ratio 6-speed gearbox over the S16's 5-speed, the
GTI-6 had more power courtesy of a reworked 167 bhp XU10J4RS engine
replacing the S16's 155 bhp XU10J4 ACAV, and some subtle chassis revisions. The
GTI-6 engine was more flexible with more mid-range torque than that in the S16,
and the new gearbox made it easier to use the engine more effectively. The
GTI-6 was introduced as a Phase 1 model and was to last until production ended
in 2002, and received Phase 2 and 3 cosmetic and electrical updates
alongside the rest of the range, but with the engine and mechanical
specification remaining largely unchanged.
306 Phase 2 The 306 underwent the only major revamp
of its life in May 1997, with the launch of the "Phase 2" version. The basic
shape remained the same, but lights, grille and bumpers were redesigned in an
effort to bring the styling into line with the new, more rounded, Peugeot
family look established with the Peugeot 406. Indicator lamps were now
incorporated into the headlamp unit and the new style "block filled" Peugeot
lion logo was adopted. The Phase 2 also saw the addition of an estate version.
A new-style typeface for the car's model number was adopted on the tailgate,
removing the black plastic backing. There were also some changes to the
dashboard layout, including a digital odometer, and trim quality which
freshened up the car in the face of increasingly stiff competition from
other manufacturers. New engines were also offered, with both 1.8 and 2.0
petrol engines gaining 16-valve cylinder heads together with modest power
increases. At this time, the previous trim designations were replaced by L, LX
& GLX for the UK market. XS, XSi and GTI-6 models continued as before, but
with the Phase 2 headlight, grille, bumper and other cosmetic updates
alongside the rest of the range. Cars from 1998 onwards received further
enhancements, including an aluminium-effect centre console on
certain versions and a chrome Peugeot logo on the steering wheel. Other
updates included removal of the black strip on the bootlid, colour-coded
bumpers on some models and new upholstery in the cabin.
New models also appeared in Phase 2 trim. Sold only in the UK, the Rallye
was launched in 1998 using the mechanicals from the GTI-6, but with
less standard equipment, making it 65 kg lighter than the GTI-6. Sold at a
discounted price of £15,995, it only came in four colours - black, Cherry Red
and Bianca White and one only in Dragoon Blue - and there were only 501 produced.
The only drawback is the insurance costs as the Rallye is in group 16. As the
production of the Rallye straddled the Phase 2 and 3 models, some Rallyes had
superficial Phase 3 features such as the flush glass tailgate and slightly
different bonnet, but remained fundamentally a Phase 2 model in such
characteristics as the fuse box and electrical layout. The UK Rallye is
different from the 2001 Australian market N5 Rallye, which was based on the
5-door XT model. The Meridian model was also re-launched
in 1999 and boasted a generous equipment list including new half-leather seats,
and further cosmetic upgrades to the interior.
306 Phase 3 Models from mid-1999 saw further
improvements and exterior modifications, including clear lenses on the headlamps,
round and clear lensed foglamps, complete colour-coding of the exterior
trim, removal of the black plastic strip on the lower edge of the tailgate, flush
glass seal to rear windscreen, a redesigned tailgate rear badge,
different rear wiper and new paint colours. Interior upgrades were more
minor, with the gearknob becoming rounder and silver topped, while the
instrument binnacle received a silver background and white instrument needles
in place of the previous red versions. XSi, XT and D Turbo models all received
the GTi-6's bodykit and interior styling additions. In the diesel variants, the
ageing XUD engine was replaced by the newer, HDi engine, which featured common
rail injection. Some base models made use of the DW8 normally aspirated diesel
engine. Almost all models included ABS and multiple airbags as standard
equipment. Rain sensitive automatic windscreen wipers were also standard on
all but the base spec. The end of the line
Despite Peugeot's efforts, the car placed poorly in a variety of ownership
and customer satisfaction surveys of the time, such as the annual JD Power survey
which was run in association with the BBC Top Gear television programme.
Nevertheless, the car featured in the Top 10 Best Selling Cars In Britain from
1994–1998, and only narrowly missing out on the top 10 during its final three
years on sale. Sales in France and most of the rest of Europe were also strong.
In Australia a run-out model was introduced in early 2001. Based on the
N5 XT 5-door model, it was called the 306 Rallye. As with other XT variants,
it had the same 99 kW/132 bhp engine and 5-speed gearbox as the late XSI models
but different suspension and interior trim. It was also available in
automatic. It replaced the XT model in the lineup and was discounted by
AU$2000. This model was different from the 306 Rallye sold in the UK in 1998 -
99, which was a 3-door car based on the 306 GTI-6.
The hatchback 306 was discontinued in 2001 to make way for its replacement,
the Peugeot 307. The cabriolet and estate variants both remained on sale
until 2002. The slow–selling saloon was axed from the United Kingdom market in
1999, but it was still available in the rest of Europe until 2002.
Motorsport The Peugeot 306 Maxi competed in Group A
of the French and World Rally Championship. The GTI version of the car
also won the Spa 24 hours endurance race in 1999 and 2000.
The car took the Danish Touringcar Championship in 1999, 2000 and 2001, and
the Asian Touring Car Series title in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Safety In 1998, EuroNCAP tested the 306, and it
only scored 3 points for protection. This was a competitive performance as
the 1999 Ford Escort only achieved two stars, but the newly introduced 1999
Ford Focus and 1998 Vauxhall/Opel Astra scored four stars.
In the 2006 Australian Used Car Safety Ratings, the Peugeot 306 manufactured
between 1994 and 2001 was rated "significantly better than average" in
its ability to protect its occupants in the event of a crash. This was one of
the highest results achieved in the 2006 ratings.
Australian Used Car Safety Ratings gave the Peugeot 306 a 4-star rating for
driver and occupant safety, and an "excellent" rating for other road users
involved in accidents. USCRs are are based on statistics collected from car
crashes involving death or serious injury in Australia and New Zealand
between 1990 and 2013. Over seven million police reported crashes were
analysed in the latest UCSR. Ratings reflect the relative safety of vehicles
in preventing severe injury. Driver protection ratings indicate relative
safety of vehicles in preventing severe injury to their own drivers, whilst
protection for other road user ratings indicate how well the vehicle protects
other road users with which they collide.
References