Review of the new Peugeot 207 CC

The British have an irrational love of convertible cars. Just look at how many of them there are on the roads then at our average rainfall figures and you'll have all the evidence you need of that. Peugeot has tapped into this yearning for wind-in-the-hair travel more successfully than most manufacturers with its range of affordable folding hard-top models and today's 207CC is aiming to fight off competition from a number of pretenders to its throne.

The 206CC from Peugeot can rightfully claim to have popularised the folding hard-top roof in the modern car market and the 207CC is the caretaker of that noble bloodline. Today, folding metal roofs are everywhere but before the 206CC, if you wanted one you had to get a rather expensive Mercedes or dig way back into the annals of motoring history for one of the old classics that chanced its arm with such an arrangement. By now, they're certain to be rather more expensive than the Merc. Keen drivers won't thank the 206CC for its efforts in making complex overhead metalwork the preferred choice over lightweight canvas. Fans of budget convertible cars, however, have taken the security and durability of the folding hard-top to heart.

You'd better like 1.6-litre engines because the 207CC has three of them and that's as far as the choice goes. At least there's some decent variety within this outwardly samey line-up. The entry-level petrol engine is a 120bhp normally-aspirated 1.6-litre designed in partnership with BMW no less. This is the engine that will rack up most sales and the only one on offer with automatic transmission. It's also a variant of the next engine in the line-up, the 150bhp turbo 1.6, albeit shorn of the turbocharger. Nevertheless it still looks quite punchy, delivering its maximum power at 6,000rpm and its peak torque figure of 163Nm at 4,250rpm. The 150bhp turbocharged variant gets THP (turbo high pressure) branding and features a beefy peak torque figure of 244Nm from only 1,400rpm. The twin scroll turbo and variable valve timing system combines with direct injection to offer a decent compromise between performance and fuel economy. Finally, there's a 1.6-litre HDi diesel with 110bhp and identical torque to the turbocharged petrol unit.

"Peugeot is a big name in the affordable convertible market and is intent on keeping things that way"

The extra weight of the 207CC's roof mechanism blunts the performance of the car compared to 207 hatchback models using the same engines. It's still pleasantly nippy though, regardless of the engine choice, with even the diesel managing a 0-60mph sprint of under 11s. The turbocharged petrol engine records an 8.6s sprint time and a 129mph top speed. The 207CC is a capable cruiser but the absence of a fixed roof can be felt as the body flexes when cornered quickly. This is hardly a disaster and Peugeot's effort remains among the best supermini-based convertibles from a driver's point of view. Engine refinement is also very good.

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.

TOP 5 207 DEALS

The results below show the top 207 deals on buyacar

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