Archives techniques

Tech

Eight drawers of engineering. Numbers carry a mark: ● verified, ○ reported, ◐ disputed.

Engines

Everything is a variation on one family: the PSA TU, a transverse inline-four whose block, layout and dimensions barely change between 954 cc and 1,587 cc. That is why the same body could be a 45 PS city car and a 120 PS hot hatch.

Petrol range: 1.0 · 1.1 · 1.3 · 1.4 · 1.6
Diesel range: 1.4 (50 PS) · 1.5 (58 PS)
Electric: 20 kW peak DC motor
Highest-output road engine: 1.6 16v · 118–120 PS
Rev limit, Rallye S1: 7,200 rpm

Électrique DC motorelectric
15–27 PS
1.0 TU9954 cc · petrol · 8v
45–50 PS
1.1 TU11,124 cc · petrol · 8v
50–60 PS
1.3 TU2J2 (Rallye)1,294 cc · petrol · 8v
100 PS · 108 Nm @ 5,400
1.4 TU31,360 cc · petrol · 8v
75–100 PS
1.4 TUD3 diesel1,360 cc · diesel
50 PS
1.5 TUD5 diesel1,527 cc · diesel
58 PS
1.6 TU5J2 (8v)1,587 cc · petrol · 8v
88–105 PS · 132 Nm @ 3,500
1.6 TU5J4 (16v)1,587 cc · petrol · 16v
118–120 PS · 145 Nm @ 5,200
1.6 Maxi competition engine1,587 cc · petrol · 16v
215–238 PS

Chassis & suspension

The 106's tuning is in its chassis: a MacPherson-strut front and a compact transverse torsion-bar rear, on a body that weighs less than a tonne. The Rallye's characteristic — controlled oversteer, in the words of one review — comes from that lightness as much as from any component.

Front: MacPherson struts, independent
Rear: Transverse torsion bars, trailing arms
Power steering: None on Rallye S1; RHD Phase I never had it

Front · MacPherson strut, independent

Rear · transverse torsion bars, trailing arms

Brakes

Brakes progress up the range from small front discs and rear drums to the S16's four-disc layout with ABS.

Rallye S1: Front discs, rear drums
S16 / GTI: 247 mm ventilated front · 247 mm solid rear · ABS
Rallye S2 rear: Sources disagree (drums vs discs)

S16 / GTI · 247 mm discs, ABS

Rallye S1 and most road cars · sizes not documented

Transmissions

Four-speed manuals on the smallest engines, five-speeds almost everywhere else, an optional automatic on some engines, and — on the Maxi — a sequential six-speed that belongs in another century of car.

Rallye S1 final drive: 4.54 : 1
Rallye S2 final drive: 4.06 : 1
Maxi: 6-speed sequential

Weights

Weight is the story. Road cars start at 790 kg; the Rallye is 825; the S16 about 925–950. The heaviest verified running-order weight of a GTI is about 1,069 kg — with fuel, fluids and driver.

Lightest road 106: 790 kg
Rallye S1: 825 kg
Rallye S2: ≈865 kg
XSi 1.4: ≈860 kg
S16 / GTI: 925–950 kg (DIN)

XN · XR · XT1991–03
800 kg · 790–950
Rallye Series 11994–96
825 kg
XSi 1.41991–94
860 kg
Rallye Series 21996–00
865 kg · 865–868
XSi 1.61994–96
872 kg
106 Maxi1996–00
900 kg
S16 · GTI1996–03
940 kg · 925–1025

Bodywork

Phase II stretched the car by 114 mm at the front, rounded the nose and added side-impact bars. The wheelbase barely moved (2,385 → 2,387 mm); the difference is all overhang and crash structure.

Length: 3,564 → 3,678 mm
Height: 1,369 → 1,380 mm
Width (GTI): 1,610 mm

length: 3,564 mm
width: 1,590 mm
height: 1,369 mm
wheelbase: 2,385 mm

Interior

Paul Bracq drew the interior. Rallye instrumentation is Jaeger; windows are cranked; there is often no radio beyond the cassette. Air conditioning was never fitted to right-hand-drive cars.

Rallye gauges: Jaeger
Airbags: From Phase II (July 1996)

Where it was built

Three plants built the 106: Mulhouse and Aulnay-sous-Bois in France, and La Marsa in Tunisia (STAFIM).

Plants: Mulhouse · Aulnay-sous-Bois · La Marsa
Total built: 2,798,200 (1991–2003)