OPEN TO CHANGE

Peugeot's 206CC was successful beyond the company's most optimistic projections and its 207CC replacement aimed to continue its dominance of the small cabriolet market. Steve Walker checks out this improved version

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Peugeot has tweaked the look of today's 207CC, toning down the sometimes controversial front end styling that has been rolled out across its model range in recent years. The lines are better integrated around the nose but the main point of reference is that the fog lights which were mounted on the edge of the enormous grille are now housed in their own cutaway sections on either side. At the rear, LED taillights are an upmarket touch but visually, the overall feel of the car isn't dramatically different. The styling is still markedly more cohesive with the roof down than when it's up.

The standard 207 interior is carried over to the CC model. It's not the most impressive in the supermini sector from a design or quality perspective but upgraded trim materials that only make it onto plusher 207 cars are standard on the CC and help spruce it up a bit. There's also a more modern control panel for the ventilation system on the latest cars. A retractable metal roof makes packaging a nightmare and although the 207CC copes as well as any hard-top convertible of this size, rear legroom is still in short supply. The boot is just 187 litres with the roof down but on the plus side, there's ample space for front seat occupants and holding a button down for 25 seconds is enough to raise or lower the canopy.

Sport and GT trim levels are available, with the Sport getting 16" alloy wheels, air-conditioning, remote central locking and electric windows with full one-touch operation of the driver's window. There's also ABS brakes with brakeforce distribution and brake assist. For a premium of around £1,500, the GT model adds 17" alloy wheels, ESP stability control and a number of other features. A five speed manual gearbox comes as standard but there's a four-speed auto available with the non-turbo petrol engine.

When the 206CC first appeared, it had a clear run at the hard-top convertible market, something that it capitalised on impressively. The 207CC has had no such luxury, finding itself up against rivals as diverse as the MINI Convertible, Mitsubishi Colt CZC, Nissan Micra C+C and even less direct competitors like the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe, the Fiat 500C or larger family hatch-based folding metal top cabrios like the Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet. There's a lot of choice out there for the convertible buyer but Peugeot has a good name on which to build.

None of the three engines available are going to cost the earth to run, although the diesel stands out, courtesy of its 56.5mpg combined economy figure and 130g/km emissions. Go for the entry-level petrol engine and it's a case of 150g/km CO2 emissions and 43mpg economy. With the manual gearbox, this engine also comes with a gearshift indicator light that tells you when to change up for optimum efficiency. The automatic gearbox sees the powerplant produce identical figures to the 1.6 THP turbo engine of 39.2mpg and 171g/km.

The 207CC continues to do very well due to inherent demand and the fact that these cars often do smaller miles than their hatchback siblings and therefore remain in better overall fettle. This spells buoyant residual values and helps with the 207CC's overall running costs.

Peugeot is a big name in the affordable convertible market and is intent on keeping things that way. Today's 207CC makes ownership of a small open-top car a refreshingly stress free proposition and does so in a package that now has a little extra visual identity, something that could be crucial to fashion-conscious buyers. There are obvious drawbacks associated with installing a folding metal roof within a supermini chassis but the 207 manages this as well or better than most of its rivals.

Although the 1.6-litre 120bhp petrol engine will snag the lion's share of sales, the 150bhp turbo engine is certainly well worth a test drive, being one of the standout powerplants of its generation. A relatively meagre 50-litre fuel tank might be an issue for this model but otherwise the technical specification is very impressive. Poor rear legroom and a lack of boot space may be an issue but the driving experience is reasonably composed. Overall, though prices aren't cheap, as a result of the most recent improvements, buyers may now feel more like paying them. What a difference good packaging makes.