These days, it seems that every mainstream manufacturer has to have an affordable cabriolet with a folding metal hard-top. And it seems that most of the people driving the sales surge for these cars are women. So it fell to my lot recently to check out Ford's offering in this burgeoning sector, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet. Early cars of this kind looked like what they were: models designed around a folding roof - never a good way to go about creating a desirable shape. Of late however, the designers and the engineers seem to have been getting together, with the result that a whole series of far more desirably styled cars are emerging. The Focus Coupe-Cabriolet is certainly one of these.

Once you let on to people that the car you're driving has a folding hard-top - something that they may not work out for themselves such is the fluidity of the Focus' hood-up styling - they usually ask if they can see it in action. It's testament to both the wow-factor and the user-friendliness of this Ford's roof that I was only too happy to demonstrate the folding mechanism to virtually anyone who asked - even while the weather was doing its worst. Then, unless they'd lost interest completely, I'd show them again. The two-piece electrically-operated hard top roof operates at the touch of a button and takes just 29 seconds, with no catches, latches or levers needing to be manhandled. Once stowed in the boot, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet's lines are a good deal more elegant, with a classic rising waistline and clean rear deck. Ford turned to Italian styling house Pininfarina to create this model and you can't really argue with the finished result, even if it is severely toned down from the striking Vignale concept car paraded at the Paris Motorshow in 2004. The specially styled rear end is characterised by unique tail lights linked by a chrome strip bearing an embossed Focus logo to give the new model what Ford hopes is 'a premium feel'. This is further enhanced by a redesigned front bumper shape and 'distinctive' wheel arches. Thank goodness, it's now no longer acceptable to have a car of this type that features next to no luggage space. That sort of thing is all rather 2001 and the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet counters with 500-litres of room when the hood is up, although this does inevitably drop when the folding roof cartridge is in place. A full four-seater, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet may not be the answer to the family motorist's prayers but it's a lot more practical than its fun-loving agenda may suggest.

I liked the interior. Inside, the car's dashboard layout follows the style of other Focus models, but with a different colour scheme developed to distinguish it as a flagship. Two different colour schemes are offered: dark, sporty Ebony/Flint, and the warm, elegant Iris/Camel. Three engines are offered. The entry-level unit is the 100bhp 1.6-litre Duratec, while those looking for a punchier petrol engine will tick the box for the 144bhp 2.0-litre Duratec unit. The 1.6-litre petrol unit provides 0-62mph acceleration in 13.6sec, a top speed of 114mph and a combined fuel consumption figure of 39.8mpg. Go for the 2.0-litre and you can expect a 0-62mph time of 10.3sec, a top speed of 130mph and combined fuel consumption of 37.6mpg. Probably the most impressive powerplant in the line up however, is the 135bhp 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel which makes sixty from rest in 10.3s on the way to 128mph and a combined fuel figure of nearly 50mpg. The main thing however, is that this unit is quiet. Indeed, it's a measure of Ford's confidence in the refinement of this engine that they can put it into an open car. The Focus has established a reputation as one of - if not the - the best handling cars in its class and although the Coupe-Cabriolet is being touted as a Grand Tourer rather than a pure sports roadster, it shares the same brilliant and infinitely tuneable suspension. It also features the electrically-assisted steering that's one of the best systems of its type and the expertise of thousands of hours of Focus research and development. Safety of course is paramount in a car like this and Ford's new Rollover Protection Device (RPD) plays a vital role in increasing the Coupé-Cabriolet's passive safety performance. In addition to standard front and side airbags, the RPD is designed to help protect passengers in the event of a vehicle rollover. If the system detects an imminent roll, two safety roll-bars "fire" and extend out by up by 20cm to provide a supportive safety strut along with the ultra-strong windscreen pillars to protect the car's occupants.

It's hard to imagine, given our climate, why convertibles like this one are so popular in this country. Until the sun comes out of course. At which point, given a budget of up to £20,000, I'd have to put this Ford on my shopping list. Simple as that.