Peugeot 605

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Peugeot 605
Manufacturer	Peugeot
Production	1989–1999
Predecessor	Peugeot 604
Successor	Peugeot 607
Class	executive car
Body style	4-door saloon
Layout	FF
Similar	Audi A6 Opel Omega Citroën XM Renault 25 Rover 800 Alfa Romeo 164

The Peugeot 605 was an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot between 1989 and 1999.

The 605 was based on the Citroën XM (although using a sedan bodystyle), and was successor to the unsuccessful Peugeot 604 which went out of production some years earlier. The popular Peugeot 505 model was thus replaced by two cars - the large family car 405, and the executive car 605.

High equipment levels, a luxurious interior, a smooth ride, and exceptional handling were strong points for the 605. But Peugeot has always struggled to succeed with large cars outside France, and the 605 was no different. It was too similar in design and appearance to the smaller Peugeot 405 to command a price premium, while its dashboard also drew criticism for its uninspired design.

Also like the XM, 605 suffered from grave build quality issues that resulted in a large number of breakdowns or malfunctions (particularly with the ambitious electrics), which severely damaged the car's reputation. It took Peugeot three years to improve these disappointing levels of quality.

PSA Peugeot Citroën has not been able to address the "luxury-brand" issue effectively - the automobile market rewards such segmentation, by brands from one factory - like Lexus/Toyota, Acura/Honda, and Audi/Volkswagen. Consumers demand a certain exclusivity from luxury cars that commodity producers cannot provide.

Thus - once PSA had successfully degraded the distinct Citroën brand image, it was rewarded with the failure of the Citroën XM to attract customers from the world wide Citroën fan base. The XM suffered the same fate as the pleasant but anonymous 605. Fortunately, PSA has a strong profit position in subcompact cars and in developing nations to fund such experimentation.

After the launch of the well-received Peugeot 406 in 1995, 605 sales dropped to near-insignificant levels, and the 605 was quietly dropped in 1999. Cars built after 1992 generally have good build quality and are often surprisingly good bargains on the second-hand market because the model's poor reputation keeps prices down.

The 605's successor, the Peugeot 607, went into production in late 1999 and has been slightly more successful on the domestic and export markets.

The end of 605 production spelled the end of "05" generation Peugeots in Europe after 21 years; this generation had started back in 1978 with the 305.

[edit] Design and styling

Its appearance resembles that of the Alfa Romeo 164, launched the , 7 February 2007 (UTC) before, and also styled by Pininfarina. It also bears a strong visual resemblence to the smaller Peugeot 405.

[edit] Engines

Four petrol engines were offered at launch:

• 2.0-liter 8-valve carbureted inline-4, 84 kW (115bhp)
• 2.0-liter 8-valve fuel-injected inline-4, 79 kW (123bhp)
• 2.0-litre 8-valve fuel-injected inline-4, 89 kW (130bhp)
• 2.0-litre 8-valve fuel-injected turbocharged inline-4, 108 kW (150bhp)
• 2.0-litre 16-valve fuel-injected inline-4, 97 kW(135bhp)
• 3.0-liter 12-valve fuel-injected V-6, 123 kW (170bhp)
• 3.0-liter 24-valve fuel-injected V-6, 147 kW (200bhp)
• 2.9-liter 24-valve fuel-injected V-6 142 kW (194-bhp)

As well as diesel engines:

• 2.1-liter 12-valve normally aspirated inline-4, indirect injection, 60 kW (90bhp)
• 2.1-liter 12-valve turbocharged inline-4, indirect injection, 80kW (110bhp)
• 2.5-liter ,turbocharged inline-4, 95kW (130bhp)

The base 4-cylinder petrol engine and the normally aspirated diesel, though reliable, were generally considered to be simply overmatched by the car's weight. The fuel-injected inline-4 was better received though it was criticised for lacking low- and mid-range punch, whereas the 170-hp V6 suffered from criticisms over poor fuel economy (mostly due to its design essentially dating from the late 1960s). The same issue affected the top-of-the range V6-24 version in spite of its all-new 24-valve cylinder head, though a top speed of 235 km/h (146 mph) made poor fuel economy more acceptable to generally well-heeled customers. The 2.1 turbo-diesel was widely regarded as a good powertrain but was outclassed by the new direct-injection engines introduced in 1988 by Audi.

A 2.0-liter (8-valve) turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine (150 bhp) was added in 1991 and provided good performance but proved unreliable. Later, a 2.5 turbodiesel (130 bhp) completed the diesel lineup, then the 2.1 was converted to direct injection. In 1997, the antiquated 3.0-liter engine was replaced at long last by an all-new 2.9-liter, 24-valve, 194-bhp V6, finally giving the car a powertrain worthy of its exceptional roadholding.

Peugeot, a marque of PSA Peugeot Citroën, road vehicle timeline, 1980s-present  v • d • e
Type	1980s										1990s										2000s
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
City car	104											106														107
Supermini				205															206								207
Small family car	305						309								306							307							308
Large family car								405									406								407
Executive car	505
	604									605										607
Leisure activity vehicle																		Partner
Mini MPV																									1007
Large MPV															806								807
Crossover																												4007