Anyway, as this is the Promised Land for Ultimate Enthusiasts rather than Consumer Digest, I must continue to support and recommend the Peugeot 406, especially after the latest facelift.  

For me, it takes time to get use to the new front end design, in which there are new headlights, mesh grille and a redesigned bumper. The aggressive, angular headlights look less in concert with the whole car. Maybe it is PSA's intention to make the facelift more appealing. What you can't see is the nose section is now made of thicker sheet metal in order to, claimed PSA, improve crash protection further, or in my opinion is to pass the stricter crash test imposed by EU. 

At the rear, the tail lights and boot lid have been redesigned. The latter is raised by 40mm to free up a little bit more luggage space. These little revision aside, overall speaking the 406 still stand out of crowd by its aggressive angular shape. Sporty yet tasteful, people might thought it is a Pininfarina's masterpiece. Actually it is not unless you add a the word "Coupe" behind its name. 

If there is any contribution from Pininfarina, it must be the chromed dials taken from the 406 Coupe. Nearby is a re-organised center console featuring a satellite navigation screen (a must for today's new cars). The quality of plastic and assemble has been vastly improved in the cabin to the extent that nearly matchs the Volkswagen. Seats have more adjustment, and they are more supportive too. Otherwise the interior is more or less the same, in particular, cabin room was not altered. 

The old car's weakest ring is the normally aspirated two-litre 16V engine. It was harsh and noisy at high rpm and was reluctant to rev. Now it is replaced by a completely new design which share with 206GTi - an all alloy unit outputting a maximum of 137hp and 140lbft. As mentioned in the 206GTi review, this engine is quite smooth, torquey and linear. Although not up to the best competitors, it works pleasantly in 406. Compare with the old one, it feels a lot quicker yet vastly reduces NVH. Fuel consumption has also been cut by 10%. The top of the range is still the smooth and powerful 194hp 3-litres V6. As mentioned before, the "French national" V6 was developed in conjunction with Renault, it provides the power that the dynamic chassis always asks for. It can push the car to 60mph in only 7.4sec and tops 142mph, thus transforms the 406 into a hot sedan. Despite of higher price, it is a worthy entertainer. 

Also need to be mentioned is a pair of diesel engine, as they are going to take half the sales (46% of the old 406s were diesel, once again prove that PSA is the keenest diesel maker). Both are 2-litre turbo diesel with common-rail direct fuel injection. The 110hp version offers strong performance yet exceptional economy, while the 90hp light turbo version is cheaper and even more frugal. However, being a car enthusiast the petrol is still your first choice. 

Relatively speaking, the five-speed gearbox is rather disappointing : shift quality is sloppy and slow. 

What about handling ? The old 406 was already leading its class bar the Mondeo, which slightly edged the Peugeot out since its facelift 1 and a half year ago. New 406 has polished again its handling. You'll discover the steering gains weight, thanks to the speed-sensitive power steering. Turn-in becomes nearly as sharp as the hard-sprung Mondeo. However, what the Peugeot stand out from the crowd is the superior ride comfort. This is always the strength of PSA, but this time the introduction of pressurised dampers raised the ride quality to the highest ever level. At first the suspensions seemed too soft, but when speed rises it demonstrates a wonderful fluency and absorb the shock from the worst broken surface underneath. Also help is the softer front springs which is a result of the lighter alloy engine (the 2-litre). 
 

My second impression is "Stylish and quality cabin ! I love it !". Yes, although the dashboard is unchanged, the red-leather seats are as stylish as those found in Ferrari 456GT, and this is just a car for 26k pounds ! Miraclely, the rear window does not sacrifice much rear seats space, both in head room and leg room. Sit down and one could find out that the rear seats are only fractionally tighter than the sedan, and it is roomier than the 4-doors BMW 3 series! Moreover, the boot is also huge by any standard. 

My third impression is "Good handling and super ride ! Very refined but without losing fun ! I love it !". The chassis and suspensions are basically that used in the sedan, however, lower ride height, stiffer spring, wider track and bigger brakes make 406 Coupe behave sharper and better balance than the sedan, which is always praised as the best handling sedan. Besides, riding comfort and quietness are not hurt. Some coupes may have slightly more fun, e.g., Alfa GTV 3.0 and BMW 328i coupe, but none can come close to its refinement. 

My fourth impression is "Strong engine, good performance, I love it !". Forget the base 135hp 2 litres. The 3 litres V6 provides the real power that the excellence of the rest deserves. Although 194hp and 197lbft is by no means efficient, it is torquey in low speed and rather smooth. With 0-60 : 7.4sec and 141mph top speed, I am afraid nobody would unsatisfied with. 

In fact, Peugeot 406 Coupe has no apparent short. It is not only the masterpiece in Peugeot product lineup, it could also be one of the masterpieces in automotive history. Let the time proves it !