Peugeot takes top off its good-looker

French carmaker Peugeot is launching two new cars on to the New Zealand market today - the cute 206CC and the 607 executive sedan.

The 206CC (it stands for coupe/cabriolet) is priced at $40,500. Buyers will have the choice of two engines - a 2.0-litre or 1.6-litre, both for the same price.

The 2.0-litre is the GTi engine and is mated to a five-speed gearbox, and the 1.6-litre comes with an automatic transmission.



Peugeot doesn't build an automatic gearbox for the 2.0-litre 206CC and the New Zealand arm of the company was faced with bringing in both manual and automatic 1.6-litre models or splitting the engine lineup.

It chose to split the powerplants to provide some drivers with a more powerful manual and others with the convenience of an automatic.

Demand for the 206CC in Europe has been high and the importers expect some shortages.

The 607 sedan is priced at $84,900 and aimed at similarly equipped models from Germany and Sweden.

It is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine and comes with an extensive list of standard equipment.