Peugeot 605

The Peugeot 605 was an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot between 1989 and 1999.

The 605 was based on the Citroën XM (although using a sedan bodystyle), and was successor to the unsuccessful Peugeot 604 which went out of production some years earlier. The popular Peugeot 505 model was thus replaced by two cars - the large family car 405, and the executive car 605.

High equipment levels, a luxurious interior, a smooth ride, and exceptional handling were strong points for the 605. But Peugeot has always struggled to succeed with large cars outside France, and the 605 was no different. It was too similar in design and appearance to the smaller Peugeot 405 to command a price premium, while its dashboard also drew criticism for its uninspired design.

Also like the XM, 605 suffered from grave build quality issues that resulted in a large number of breakdowns or malfunctions (particularly with the ambitious electrics), which severely damaged the car's reputation. It took Peugeot three years to improve these disappointing levels of quality.[citation needed]