PEUGEOT306 3 doors 1993 - 1997

　　Created as a successor to the 306, the 309 came on the market with a new and improved design concept that helped the French automaker take a slice from the VW Golf's compact-segment pie.

　　Peugeot was ready for a major change in its design language and replaced the nine-year-old 309 with the 306 lineup in 1993. In addition, it offered it in a few bodywork versions, including the sporty, 3-door one.

　　There was a new design language for the French carmaker, who suddenly remembered that its badge was a lion and put the feline-eye-shaped headlights on the car. It looked miles away from most of its competitors who insisted on squared or round headlamps. The hood left a small gap underneath, above the bumper, for the grille. From its profile, the longer doors and the shape of the rear windows resembled the glorious 205, but in a modern manner. Finally, at the back, the raked-forward tailgate featured a cut for the taillights. Even though that made access to the trunk more difficult, it improved the car's look.

　　Inside, Peugeot took a different approach than on the 309. Thus, the center stack and the instrument cluster were under the same roof. In addition, the sound system was placed above the HVAC controls, thus improving the car's ergonomics. Finally, depending on the trim level and engine version, the 306 featured bucket seats or sports seats for the GTI version, which proved to be a true hot-hatch.

　　The 306 was based on the same platform as the Citroen ZX, which has been on the market since 1991. Thus, Peugeot had plenty of time to fix any mistakes it made during the chassis' development. In addition, the French automaker offered the 306 with a wide choice of gasoline and diesel engines.