2003 PEUGEOT 406 Coupe 3.0L V6 24V 4AT (210 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The 406 Coupe received a well-deserved refresh in 2003, four years after the introduction of the vehicle on the market.

A refresh is always welcome for a car that reached its mid-life cycle, and Peugeot knew that. It also knew that there would be new emission standards in Europe, and it had to adapt and keep up with the new regulations. That said, there were some modifications which had to do and some others which were just optional.

The carmaker introduced a new bumper with a taller and wider grille in the apron at the front. It wasn’t as aggressive as before. It resembled, somehow, a Gran Tourer. Instead of the older, squared fog lights, the French carmaker used round ones and smaller, less prone to meet a stone on the highway. While the front was restyled, the door mirrors were kept the same as before, meaning black-painted regardless of the car’s color.

While a master design team penned the exterior, the interior kept the same bland style from the sedan version. Its taxi-looking layout was saved only by the high-quality materials used on the top trim levels. The carmaker offered a choice of black or chrome door handles and silver rings around the dials, which was nice. But the car definitely deserved sportier seats.

Under the hood, Peugeot added the 2.2-liter gasoline engine, which led to a balanced version between the thirsty 3.0-liter V-6 and the sluggish 2.0-liter inline-four. As its non-facelifted version, the 2003 model was available with a 2.2-liter turbo-diesel unit.