Peugeot’s fabled 205 GTI is one of those modern classics which inevitably arouses fierce debate: even those who have never even sat in one of these fast but f rantic fliers will have an opinion as to whether it’s the revvy 1.6 or the torquey 1.9 that is best.
In truth, neither camp is quite right since in many ways it’s the even smaller-engined versions that showcase these modern classic Peugeots at their very best. The feisty 1.4-litre XS model for example was the 205 in warm hatch guise but its carbfed motor offered snappy response the equal of either of the injected engines and a grin-per-pound quotient better than all of
