Kafin shekarar 205, an dauki Peugeot a matsayin mai ra'ayin mazan jiya a cikin masana'antun motoci na "manyan uku" na Faransa, wanda ke samar da manyan saloons irin su 504 da 505, ko da yake ya shiga kasuwar supermini na zamani a 1973 tare da Peugeot 104 . Halin 205 ya kasance a cikin mulkin Peugeot a cikin 1978 na Chrysler's European division Simca da tsohon Rootes Group, wanda ke da ƙwarewar da ake bukata don kera ƙananan motoci ciki har da Simca 1100 a Faransa da Hillman Imp a Birtaniya. A daidai wannan lokacin ne Peugeot ta fara aikin samar da sabon supermini na shekarun 1980.
An ƙaddamar da shi a ranar 24 ga Fabrairun 1983, kuma an ƙaddamar da shi ta hanyar tuƙi na hannun dama don kasuwar Burtaniya a cikin Satumba na wannan shekarar. Ba da daɗewa ba bayan ƙaddamar da shi, an ƙuƙasa shi zuwa lambar yabo ta motar mota ta Turai ta hanyar girman girman Fiat Uno, amma a ƙarshe (bisa ga masu shirya lambar yabo) zai ji daɗin hoto mafi kyau da kuma buƙatar kasuwa mai tsayi fiye da dan wasan Italiya. Ya kasance ɗaya daga cikin mahimman ƙananan motoci guda biyar da za a ƙaddamar da su a kasuwar Turai a cikin shekara guda na juna: sauran hudu sun kasance Uno, ƙarni na biyu Ford Fiesta, Opel Corsa na asali (wanda aka sayar a matsayin Vauxhall Nova a kasuwar Birtaniya) da Nissan Micra na asali. Har ila yau ƙaddamarwarsa ya biyo bayan na Austin Metro da Volkswagen Polo Mk2.
Sau da yawa ana tunanin salon 205 shine ƙirar Pininfarina, kodayake Gerard Welter ya yi iƙirarin cewa ƙirar gida ce; Pininfarina kawai ya sa salon Cabriolet. [2] Yawancin lokaci ana la'akari da ita a matsayin motar da ta juya dukiyar Peugeot.
Dakatar mai cikakken zaman kanta ta yi amfani da daidaitaccen tsari na PSA Peugeot Citroën wanda aka yi muhawara a cikin Estate Peugeot 305 . Wani mahimmin sashi na nasarar 205, yana da MacPherson struts a gaba da kuma bin diddigin makamai tare da sanduna masu tsauri a baya. Dakatarwar ta baya ta kasance m sosai, an ƙirƙira don rage kutsawar dakatarwa a cikin taya, tana ba da faffadan kaya mai faɗi, yayin samar da ingantacciyar tafiya da sarrafawa.
A farkon shekarun 205 sun yi amfani da injin mai na X [n 1] daga tsohuwar Peugeot 104, kodayake an maye gurbinsu daga baya (1987-1988) da sabbin injunan XU da TU, waɗanda na ƙirar PSA ne. Motoci sun tashi daga 954 cc zuwa 1905 cc, a cikin carburetor ko nau'ikan allurar mai .
Samfuran diesel ɗin sun yi amfani da injin PSA XUD, wanda aka ɗaga daga Citroën BX wanda aka ƙaddamar a cikin Satumba 1982. Wadannan injuna suna da karfin 1769 cc (XUD7) da 1905 cc (XUD9) kuma suna da alaƙa ta kut da kut da injunan mai na XU5 da XU9 a cikin BX16 da BX19 na lokacin. Injin diesel din sun yi fice a duniya da kuma man fetur kamar yadda masu saye da yawa suka samu nasara ta hanyar aikin motar mai hade da tattalin arzikin dizal. Misali, 205 GRD (1.8 Diesel, 59 brake horsepower (44 kW), 78 pound-feet (105.8 N⋅m) ) yayi sauri kamar, duk da haka ya fi santsi fiye da 205 GR (1.4 Petrol, 59 brake horsepower (44 kW), 78 pound-feet (105.8 N⋅m) ), saboda injin yana haɓaka ƙarfin juzu'in mafi ƙarancin rpm, yayin amfani da ƙarancin mai.
Akwai nau'ikan da aka yi niyya don amfani da kasuwanci, kamar jerin kujeru biyu na XA . Har ila yau, akwai "205 Multi", wani nau'i na musamman mai tsayi a kan XA ko XE-tushen ginawa ta masu horarwa masu zaman kansu kamar Gruau da Durisotti. Gruau ya kira nau'in kujeru biyu na su na XA da "VU", yayin da na tushen XE mai kujeru biyar ana kiransa "VP". Durisotti ya fara gina 205 Multi a cikin 1986; An kira shi "205 Multi New Look". [3]
commonly nicknamed the Douvrin "Suitcase Engine"