Technical Data ¢ Price as iested $25,080 ° Base price $22,400 ° Type 4 door, sedan * Layout tramsverse front engine/front wheel drive ¢ Engine 1905 cc 4 cylinder, SOHC, 16 valve w/Bosch Motronic fuel injection * Horsepower 110 @ 5200 rpm © Torque 126 Ibs-ft @ 4250 rpm ¢ Transmission 5 passenger (5 spd. manual)/4 spd. automatic overdrive with lockup torque converter ® Tires Michelin MXV_ 185/65 R-14 asr © Curb weight 1203 kg/2653 tbs. © Wheelbase 2669 mm/105.1 in. © Length 4513 mm/177.7 in. © Width 1714 mm/67.5 in. ¢ Trunk space 390 1/13.7 cu.ft. © Fuel economy City 11.4/25 mpg, Hwy 8.5/33 mpg © Warranty Basic 3 yrs/60,000 km Powertrain 5 yrs/ 80,000 km EL a a a 44 The 405's styling was done by Pininfarina, the Italian design house that also styles Ferraris. While many of its styling elements are common, such as the wedge shape and a high rear deck, the 405 manages to look unusually poised, tidy, and attractive. 99 PEUGEOT A fine car, but unappreciated PEUGEOT AUTOMOBILES are not very well known in North America, despite the size and im- portance of Peugeot in other parts of the world. Pevgeot S.A., which includes Citroen, currently holds third place in European car sales behind Volkswagen and Fiat. Peugeot has a colorful and rich history that stretches back to before the turn of the century. At the moment, the only Peugeot sold in Canada is the 405, a front-wheel-drive, compact, four-door sedan. When the 405 was first introduced in 1988, it was voted Europe’s Car of the Year by a respected panel of automotive journalists. THE PEUGEOT 405 sedan offers a standard 1.9 litre four cylinder engine with 110 horsepower. Its rela- tively high base price of $19,700 is explained by its high level of standard equipment, including four wheel disc brakes, air con- ditioning with automatic climate control, a six speaker AM/FM stereo cassette, and p/d locks. Shortly thereafter, the 405 Mi 16 was voied Best Imported Car of the Year by the United States Motoring Press Association. The 405 has a long list of other repu- table awards. So, why isn't it more popular here? Until recently, there haven't been many Peugeot dealerships in Canada. In addition, its base price is fairly high ($19,400). However, it should be remembered that this price includes a lot of standard equipment that is optional on ‘other cars in this class, so in fact, the 405 is not unreasonably pric- ed. There are two 405 models, a family sedan and a_ performance sedan, both quite different in character. The family sedan, in DL and S trim, comes with an aluminum alloy, 1.9 litre four cylinder engine with a single overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder. A five-speed manual transmission is standard. The DL model starxs at $19,700, while the S starts at $22,400. The performance sedan, called the Mi 16, has a 150 horsepower, dual overhead cam, 16 valve 1.9 litre four-cylinder engine, a tuned suspension, more luxury appoint- menis, and comes fully equipped for around $30,000. t will restrict my review to this week's test car, a 405S family sedan. The 405’s styling was done by Pininfarina, the Halian design house that also styles Ferraris. While many of its styling clements are common, such as the wedge shape and a high rear deck, the 405 manages to look unusually poised, tidy, and attractive. | found its appearance quite refreshing. With a relatively long 105-inch wheelbase and a wide track, the 405 has a comfortable, stable ride. The suspension is fully indepen- dent, using McPherson struts up front and transverse torsion bars 2nd shocks in the rear. Power-assisted cack and pinion Greg Wilson TEST DRIVE disc brakes are standard equipment. ABS (anti-lock braking system) is optional. My car had the optional elec- steering and four-wheel tronically-controlied 4 speed automatic transmission with lock-up torque converter. It is an extremely smooth unit, however it is sometimes reluctant to change down two gears when sudden ac- celeration is necessary. As I mentioned, all 405’s in- clude a lot of standard equipment. As well as power steering and disc brakes, the 40SDL offers air con- ditioning with automatic climate contro), a six-speaker AM/FM Stereo cassette system, power door locks, three-point lap shoulder belts on the outside rear seats, and a full-size spare tire. The rear seat also has a folding armrest with a ‘trap door’ for ac- cess to the trunk, In addition, the 405S has at- tractive alloy wheels, remote-con- trol central door locking, power windows, cruise control, heated front seats, all standard, All in all, I like the 405. It's a classy, well-mannered, and frugal economy sedan that has the ad- vantage of being somewhat ex- chusive. «x