Peugeot 106 Rallye - best ever Peugeot Sport cars
The appeal of a great hot hatch has often been that it doesn’t rely on huge horsepower to deliver its magic, and Peugeot proved to be a master of this with its Rallye edition road cars.
The appeal of a great hot hatch has often been that it doesn’t rely on huge horsepower to deliver its magic, and Peugeot proved to be a master of this with its Rallye edition road cars.
Our top pick is the brilliant 106 Rallye with its 100bhp 1.3-litre engine (later cars had a 1.6 with an extra 3bhp) and 826kg kerbweight, resulting in brilliant chassis control, great damping and very manageable lift-off oversteer. Its unassisted steering was a delight, and it never failed to deliver the smiles in any company. It could make hot hatches with twice the power and performance feel aloof and unexciting.
By their very nature, both generations of 106 Rallye needed to be taken by the scruff of their necks to get the best from them, and while some found this tiresome, the trade-off was more than worth it. On a back road they were pretty much untouchable, and to this day they’re still a great entry point to performance driving. They feel equally at home on track, too.
Specifications
- Engine: 1.3-litre (1.6) in-line 4cyl
- Power: 100bhp/7,200rpm (103bhp/6,200rpm)
- Torque: 108Nm/5,400rpm (132Nm/3,500rpm)
- Transmission: Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
- Weight: 826kg (865kg)
- Top speed: 118mph (121mph)
- 0-60mph: 9.3 secs (8.8 secs)
- Built: 1994-1996 (1997-1998)
