PEUGEOT almost missed the boat with this one. Vauxhall's Tigra, the car that started the craze for small coupes six years ago, has just been deleted - it's been on sale that long.
With Ford's Puma entering its twilight years it seems an odd time to be unwrapping a small sportster.
The French were caught on the hop by the success of Tigra. They had plenty of decent hot-hatchbacks but nothing but the 406 Coupe to offer buyers looking for a sporty machine.
The new Coupe Cabriolet takes the 206 Gti, a hot-hatch that's out of the top drawer, as its starting point. Peugeot has draped a pretty coupe body over this sporty set-up to make a small sports car in double-quick time.
The rear window is rather abruptly cut-off but that's because the Coupe Cabriolet has an unusual ace up its sleeve.
The solid roof is electrically retractable, just like the Mercedes SLK, turning the Peugeot into an open-top car at the touch of a button. For less than £16,000, nothing can hope to match the Coupe Cabriolet for head-turning looks.
In addition to the roof, specification includes side airbags, air conditioning, alloy wheels, electric windows and a CD player.
Available in a range of colour co-ordinated paint and trim finishes, including two leather options, the Coupe Cabrio has just one engine, a 2.0-litre 16-valver, and costs £15,995.
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