23/03/08

• Price14,795-£17,107
• We like...Clever roof
• We don't...Rear seats

Drop top coupe with a clever folding roof serves up the best of both worldsYou can have cake, and eat it. Here’s proof. Roof up, this junior sports car feels cosy and wind tight, giving nothing to doubt that its steel roof and glass rear screen are anything but permanent. Prod a switch between the seats, though, and 27sec later you’ve an open-topped roadster, having witnessed a fine show of mechanical bobbing and weaving along the way.

The Peugeot 207’s snug when you need it, blowy fun when you don’t. And while other 207s are workaday child and grocery haulers, Peugeot has put everything into making this one feel special. The company has taken all that was good from its forebear – the 206 CC – and made it better. From the rasping exhaust as the revs build to its chunkily bolstered front seats and drilled metal pedals, it’s tip-to-t sporty. The ride is roadster-firm but supple and the steering quick and neat. Only the long throw of the gear lever feels at odds.

The 1.6 Sport’s 120bhp suits the car’s nature, pulling the car well without overdoing things while staying easy to trickle along in town traffic. You can also pick a 150bhp 1.6 petrol or a 1.6 diesel.

Living with such a clever car involves compromise, however. At first that boot looks sizeable, and it is, swallowing 100-quid’s worth of groceries or a weekend’s luggage for two. But while it’s full, you can travel only roof-up. Before the top comes down, you must first draw a blind across the luggage space, reducing it by half. Until the blind is in place, the roof stays put. It’s designed that way so that you can’t accidentally crush your belongings.

So if you want the wind in your hair, your luggage must be slim and your food shopping slimmer.

And although the 207 CC has four seats, the rear pair has enough legroom only for children and even they will feel cramped after a few minutes. Despite this, the Peugeot madly nags you via its dash message display to buckle up in the back, even if there’s only you aboard.

But then it’s there to have fun in, not to do the dull stuff.

• Engines1.6, 1.6 HDi
• Power120bhp/150bhp, 110bh
• 0-60 mph43.5mpg, 39.2mpg, 54
• Economy43.5mpg, 3
• CO2g/km155, 171, 136
• Insurance groups8-12
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags4
• Seats2

Motors.co.uk value verdict: