PEUGEOT 306 5 doors 1997-2001 Photos, engines & full specs

The compact hatchback from Peugeot stepped back with its numbering system and named the 306 after the 309, and it introduced it in 1993. Three years later, it received its first facelift for the entire range.

Peugeot 306 was a simple, compact French car, built to cope with everyday tasks around town. It was fitted with economical engines, and it was affordable. It was good for young families and offered enough interior room for up to five passengers for short distances. For long trips, it was good only for four.

The facelifted version featured different headlights, with rounded edges and an angry look. The raked windshield and the clean, rounded lines were a step forward from its predecessor. A new bumper with a "smiley face" lower grille and encased fog-lights was introduced. Unlike the 3-door version, the front doors were shorter to leave enough room for the rear ones.

Inside, the lines were sweetened with rounded edges instead of clear cuts. On the center stack, Peugeot installed the HVAC controls and the audio system. It didn't seem like its designer broke a sweat to make a completely new design.

There was a choice of eight engines available under the hood: five were with gasoline, and three were diesel. The most spirited one, the GTI, offered 135 hp, and it was mated to a six-speed gearbox. It was unusual for those times to see an affordable, compact-sized vehicle with that kind of transmission.