First of all they're excellent cars that do exactly what the tin says. No luxuries but comfortable and capable of lugging same loads as a medium large estate car. Our 2005 model has done 105k pretty well trouble free miles, certainly never let us down. First car I''ve owned that's got anywhere near that mileage and never been flatbacked home.
No knowledge of petrols (though I'd certainly not want a 1.4) the diesel history is broadly as follows.
Early models, up to around 2001, used 1.7 or 1.9 versions the venerable XUD indirect injection unit that premiered on the Pug 305 and powered a generation of PSA cars including the 405, BX, Xantia, 306, ZX etc.
2001/2 saw the arrival of the HDi 2.0 unit in 90PS flavour. Good engines but fearsomely complex and expensive when (rarely) they go badly wrong.
At the 'base' end of the market a 1.9D indirect injection engine based on the HDI block but with a simple injection system based on an electronically controlled mechanical pump. Only about 70PS but our is one of these and it's as fast as athing else once it geys to 70. Sryggles to hit 40mpg though. Ours has been as far north as the Butt of Lewis and as far south as Cannes wityhout a murmer of complaint from the fast growing kids in the back.
2006 saw the 2.0 HDi superceded by a 90PS 1.6 version and a lower powered 70PS version to replace the 1.9D while being Euro emission compliant.
90 ps versions are better performers than the 1.9 and much more economical but were a £1k premium new which I suspect feed through inot S/H prices.
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