The Peugeot 605 was built on the same platform as the Citroën XM model. The advantages of this "lion" were a high level of equipment, a luxury cabin, light, gentle ride and exceptional handling. Despite Peugeot's constant efforts to succeed in this prestigious car class, the car was not popular outside of France. In its design and appearance, the Peugeot 605 was too similar to the smaller Peugeot 405 to be exclusive, and the instrument panel also did not escape criticism for its rather simple and inexpressive design. Like the Citroën XM, the 605 initially had to deal with a number of quality issues related to sophisticated electronic devices. This has severely damaged the reputation of the car and the brand. In 1995, Peugeot tried to address these issues by introducing a heavily improved 605 model (also known as the Phase 2 model). This car has undergone cosmetic design improvements that have given modernity the fashion of the time. The interior has also been improved, giving it more ergonomics and attractiveness, as well as improved engine dynamics and handling, and many reliability issues have been successfully addressed. Technological innovations included side airbags. In 1995, following the highly successful debut of the Peugeot 406 (which was much higher than its predecessor, the 405), sales of the 605 dropped significantly, and in 1999 it was finally phased out. The successor to the 605, the Peugeot 607, appeared in production at the end of the same year and was a bit more successful in the French and export markets.