Of the numerous points raised at Automobiles Peugeot while the specification of the 206 was being finalised two emerged as top priorities - active and passive safety.

The first uses mechanical components and vehicle dynamics to push the accident threshold as far back as possible. The second complements the first and seeks to reduce the physical consequences of a crash.

For Peugeot the first aspect of safety is avoiding crashes and it is principally the specification of the suspension components and their performance which determines behaviour on the road.

The 206's optimised chassis and suspension delivers precise dynamic response and tenacious roadholding. It is fitted standard with load-sensitive, power-assisted steering and a height-adjustable steering wheel. Suspension is a pseudo MacPherson strut type front with wishbones and trailing arm at the rear.

Shock absorbers are a new gas-pressurised (nitrogen) type, high performance braking systems produce best-in-category stopping distances under any conditions, with or without ABS and 206 also boasts the largest glazed area in its class (2.96 m2) for exceptional all-round vision.

As well the ergonomics applied to the location of the pedals, hand brake, gear lever and other controls ensured safety was the dominant factor in making the 206 easy to operate.

Accessibility has been dealt with in the same way, whether it be access to the rear seats, which has been made easy with a high and wide door aperture, or access to the boot, which features a low load sill height.

As far as passive safety is concerned, the 206 has been studied and developed to meet and exceed international directives for frontal and side impact.

From the first 206 concept the car's rigid integral structure incorporated "controlled-collapse" energy absorption zones and special reinforcements to ensure programmed crash deformation and optimal occupant protection.

As with all new Peugeots sold in Australia the 206 XR is fitted standard with a 45-litre driver's side airbag, featuring a stitched vent which does not open until the most effective point of the head/bag contact is reached.

The 206 XT features standard driver and a 90-litre passenger bag of the same design. The GTi adds dual 12-litre side airbags (optional on XT).

The 206 is fitted with a new generation of pyrotechnic seat belt pre-tensioners in the front, incorporating torsion bar force limiters. The force limiter comprises a torsion bar made of a special steel and acts on the belt when the load is greater than 600 kg.

The steering column is made of three sections, the lowest able to retract 100 mm in an impact. A wrap of 30 mm thick knee padding (made from polystyrene and Noryl) around the column and lower dashboard considerably reduces the risk of serious leg injury in the event of an impact and the pedals are designed so they do not pull on the steering column in a crash.

As well the front seats boast a reinforced frame, a seat structure designed to minimise occupant submarining under the seatbelt in a crash and long-extension head restraints.

The pelvic loading on the front passengers is limited by initiating body movement as quickly as possible and this is achieved by means of a stack of two side impact beams and shock absorbing padding incorporated into each front door.

Part of this stack is composed of a honeycomb structure made from injection moulded polypropylene which works at successive stages.

All materials used in the passenger compartment are "shock-designed" to prevent them tearing or splintering and creating aggressive edges in an impact. The 50-litre fuel tank is mounted in an impact protected zone under the rear seats and ahead of the rear suspension cross-member.

A valve insures the tank will not leak in the event of a roll-over and the fuel supply system is fitted with an inertia cut-out.

The rear bench seat back can withstand a deceleration of 20 g for 33 milliseconds (two 18 kg suitcases located on the floor of the luggage compartment, 20 cm away from the back).

In case of a side impact the heavy-section B-pillar is mounted solidly and has a reinforced tie to the roof panel. Each of the doors incorporates a welded "Omega shaped" (W) component at its extremities to spread loads and minimise impact intrusion.

A system of tie bars in the doors serves as a brace between the front and centre pillars at head height complimented by a dashboard cross-member connected to the front roof pillars and centre tunnel.

All these features enable the 206 to meet the world's toughest crash test criteria including:

For 50 km/h frontal impact against a rigid wall:
Directive 91/662/EC - backward and upward movement of the steering wheel is less than 30 mm and 5 mm respectively (the maximum permitted being 127 mm)
ADR 69/00-9-1 (Australia) and TRIAS 47 (Japan) - derived from the American standard FMVSS 208
For 56 km/h offset frontal impact against a deformable barrier with 40 percent overlap:
Directive 96/79/EC - with and without airbag
For 50 km/h rear impact (1100 kg barrier):
TRIAS 33 (Japan)
Over 180 crash tests were conducted on 206 to validate the thousands of computer simulated collisons run through the massive (Cray XMP based) computer system Peugeot's la Garenne R&D centre.

Automobiles Peugeot is a member of the European Accident Causation Survey (EACS) which consists of manufacturers, police and medical authorities co-operating to use real-world data in analysing crashes.


The 206 has a monocoque type structure and is made from drawn steel sheet ranging in thickness from 0.7 mm to 2.5 mm, depending on function.

High elastic strength steel sheets are used for components subjected to particularly high stress loads including the front structural member supports and subframe.

This high elastic material delivers greater strength and a weight reduction of around 50 percent over conventional sheets that would have to be more than twice as thick to withstand the same stresses.

Similarly some components, such as the front wheel housings, are made up of two sheets with different thicknesses (0.8 mm and 1.2 mm) joined end to end (ie. they have firstly been welded end to end then drawn to obtain the desired shape).

A total of 77 percent of the body structure is made up of components fully galvanised (on both sides) and captive nuts are clinched rather than welded into the body structure to minimise damage to anti-corrosion coatings.

The body of the 206 is in part composed of a sub-structure that comprises a front block made up of two main side members which widen out and drop down towards the rear of the vehicle. From the front bulkhead to under the front floor they divide into two double side members.

The passenger compartment side is a single piece structure and all components on every side of the shell contribute to the stiffness of the passenger compartment. This added rigidity improves occupant protection in frontal, side and rear impacts, or if the vehicle rolls over.

The passenger compartment is protected from the engine compartment by insulation that comprises two separate walls sandwiching an absorbant material in between, a principle applied to all crossmembers.

Acoustic insulation (bitumen composite foam) is applied to the bulkhead on the passenger side and the passenger compartment also features a noise absorbing septum applied from the top of the bulkhead, the sides of the body, central tunnel and the front floor