Peugeot 206CC

It was the star of the Motor Show in Birmingham and in the past few days it has brought a new dimension to going topless in St Tropez.

In conditions more akin to the UK, Peugeot’s clever little 206 Coupe Cabriolet has been lapping up the miles in some atrocious weather along the French Riviera.

But that is probably what this car excels at for it is really a vehicle for all seasons.

At the push of a button the Peugeot 206 CC transforms from a hardtop coupe to a convertible in just 32 seconds.

And the way the metal roof folds away into the boot is simply amazing.

Only the Mercedes SLK offers a similar system – and one of those will cost you almost twice as much as the Peugeot which will sell at pounds 15,995 when it hits the streets in January.

This is two cars in one and that means it offers the best of both worlds – especially in the fickle British climate in mind.

With little question, the combination of coupe and cabriolet in one car is likely to make the Peugeot 206 CC a must in the UK.

It is going to appeal to women in a big way. Bright colours and snazzy trims make it even more of a head turner.

The car is based on the potent Peugeot 206 GTi which, at pounds 2,000 cheaper than the Peugeot 206 CC, has already developed a reputation as a hot hatch with plenty of flair.

The Peugeot 206 CC is not as quick as the GTi and that is down to the extra weight of the fold-away roof and its associated motors, but it will still handle the 0 to 60 dash in a shade under nine seconds.

But with its 2.0 litre engine on song it remains a brisk performer and will average in the region of 35mpg.

With the roof down, it is a fun car. There is little wind penetration into the cockpit and it is easy to hold a conversation with your passenger without having to raise your voice.

Even in the chilly weather that hit the Mediterranean last week it was quite acceptable to drive in the drier spells with the heater keeping things nice and warm inside.

Roof up, it is utterly conventional. There is no extraneous noise from the clip down roof and climate control is fitted as standard to cope with the vagaries of any weather conditions.

Inside its got a sporty theme with rally-style seats, aluminium pedals, metal gear knob and white-faced dials setting off the two-tone plastic and fabric trim.

A leather steering wheel is standard kit, but full leather trim will set you back an extra pounds 700 and the only other extras are pounds 250 for metallic or pearlescent paint, or pounds 175 if you want black.

Everything else, and that includes a CD player, smart alloy wheels, an aluminium filler cap and front fog lamps are all in the price – and before anyone moans that in France the car is pounds 2,000 cheaper than in the UK, Peugeot UK will point out thatthe French versions don’t have those sort of goodies as standard.

The smart bit of the Peugeot 206 CC is obvious and that is what caught the judges eye at the Motor Show.

‘The Peugeot’s folding metal roof performs an effortless mechanical ballet as it transforms the chic coupe into a stylish roadster. Peugeot’s pursuit of design engineering excellence combines the security and safety of a hard-top with the fun of open topmotoring – all at the touch of a button,’ said chairman of the judging panel Prof Jon King, director of Corus Automotive Engineering which sponsored the award and also this year’s president of the Institute of Vehicle Engineers.

Even better, it still leaves a fair amount of space for your bags – 6.1 cubic feet to be precise – and that is more than you get in the Mercedes with the top down.

With the roof up, it offers 14.3 cubic feet of space. Which means you can take all your luggage abroad in a coupe then run around in the sun in a cabriolet.

But the rear seats are a joke. Friends could stomach it on a quick trip to the pub and children beyond the age of four would just not sit safely once their restraining seat had been fitted.

Now the Peugeot 206 CC is an important car to the Midlands, being built at Peugeot’s Ryton factory at Coventry at the rate of 740 a day.

However, the Peugeot 206 CC will be built at the main production plant in Mulhouse in France where Peugeot expects to hit 400 units a day sometime next year.

Peugeot said it has taken close on a thousand orders for the CC in Britain with a further 10,000 in France and Germany.

A 1.6 litre version is coming in the Spring. It is almost as good as the 2.0 litre – and it certainly won’t cost as much.