Year of Peugeot 205




Peugeot 205 photos, specs - Car Pictures & Images

The Peugeot 205 is a supermini produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1983 and 1997. It was declared 'Car of the Decade' by CAR magazine in 1990.

The chic Pininfarina styled 205 is widely regarded as a modern classic. It's often thought that the 205 is a Pininfarina design, however Gerard Welter claims it as an in-house design, Pininfarina only styled the CTi model. It is often credited as the car which turned Peugeot's fortunes around. Before the 205, Peugeot was considered the most conservative of France's "big three" car manufacturers, producing large saloons such as the 504 and 505. The genesis of the 205 lay within Peugeot's takeover in 1978 of Simca, which had the necessary expertise in making small cars. Early 205s used the "Douvrin" engine from the older Peugeot 104, although these were later replaced with the newer XU and TU-series engines, which were of PSA design. Engines ranged from 954cc to 1905cc engine displacement, in carburetor or fuel injected petrol and diesel versions. Its use of the now standard PSA Peugeot Citroën suspension layout of Macpherson struts at the front, with torsion bar suspension rear suspension, that debuted in the Peugeot 305 estate, was a key ingredient of the success of the 205. This is fully independent using torsion bars (Torsion spring) and trailing arms. It is very compact and was designed to minimise suspension intrusion into the boot, giving a wide flat loadspace, while providing excellent ride and handling.

The diesel models employed the XUD7 PSA Diesel engine, lifted from the Citroën BX which was introduced in 1982. These XUD7 engines has a capacity of 1769cc and 1905cc and they're closely related to the XU5 and XU9 petrol engines in the BX16 and BX19 of the time respectively, as well as the engines later used in the 205 GTI 1.6 and Automatic (also 1.6) and GTI 1.9 respectively (other Peugeot/ Citroën [PSA] products, such as the 305 and Talbot Horizon as well as the BX, used the XUD9 Diesel engine of 1905cc — the same capacity as the 205 GTI 1.9 and Citroën BX 19 petrol engined models). The XUD7 (and XUD9) Diesel Engines were world-beating and so petrol-like that many buyers were won over by the petrol car performance combined with the diesel economy. The 205 GRD (1.8 Diesel, 59bhp (44kW), 78lb·ft (105.8N·m)), for instance, was as fast yet smoother than the 205 GR (1.4 Petrol, 59bhp (44kW), 78lb·ft (105.8N·m)), due to the engine developing peak torque at much lower rpm, while using much less fuel.

In early 1994, the 205 DTurbo was announced, with the 205 XS three-door bodywork, wheels, interior and more instruments with a 16 valves turbocharged intercooled XUD7 engine (it seemed that the DTurbo models in PSA models used the XUD7 engine and not the XUD9!). Road tests were very positive! There was though a significant increase in fuel consumption over the normally aspirated diesel. The introduction of the XUD9 intercooled turbo diesel by PSA in the Citroen ZX and Peugeot 405 took diesel performance and refinement to another level. The ZX Volcane intercooled turbo diesel is reckoned by many to be the first true diesel 'hot hatch'. (From such roots eventually grew the 306 DTurbo as a specific 'sporty model'). This model is generally found sporting the "Accent" or "Forever" brandings. After the 205 GTI 1FM, the 205 DTurbo is the 2nd most rare model of the Peugeot 205. Only 400 were made. The production of the 205 DTurbo stopped in 1995, the last ones registered in May 1995.

The 205 was an instant hit, and the styling parameters that it set were echoed in every Peugeot model that was to follow. Incredibly, the styling was so right from the start, that it was never face lifted or significantly altered in its 15-year production run. There was a dashboard redesign for the 1988 model year, and in late 1990 the 205 received new door design and cards, clear front indicators, new 'smoked' rear light clusters, single point petrol injection and catalytic converters introduced, to meet the new 1992 pollution limits.



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Peugeot 205 Pictures by Years

1991
1991 peugeot 205
1984
1984 peugeot 205
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