The 307 'SW' (Sky Wagon) has a very versatile interior and is ideal for the family but its hardly a machine to pose in. Well now there is a 307 to cruise in and I'm in it this week, the new 307 CC (Coupe Cabriolet).
At 36K (2 litre) it is about the right price compared to the new Megane CC (2 litre) and the 1.8 Astra Cabriolet. New to the sector from both Peugeot and Renault is the folding hard top (SLK-like). The Missus ran an Astra Cabriolet for a couple of years, loved it, but she was always a bit wary parking it in the city as the roof was cloth.
You'll have no such worries in the new Pug. The fully electric hard roof retracts at the push of a button with the roof panel and rear window folding onto each other. They then fold down into the open boot, which opens the opposite way to normal, to accommodate the roof.
The boot when the roof is up is simply huge. On one occasion I managed to fit into it a keyboard (and its stand) plus a huge barrel bag full of costumes and an acoustic guitar! With the roof in place the rear is very reminiscent of a Lexus SC430 and the car is handsome but not stunning. The front end is very 307 and the roofline low.
The 'A' pillar and windscreen rake is very shallow, but liveable with. When the roof is down the 'A' pillar doesn't seem quite right, especially at the top. You have to be very careful entering the car as you could catch your eye on it. When seated in the very comfy leather seats, the base of the windscreen feels distant yet the top of it comes virtually over your head. The high sides of the 307CC make you feel secure but almost too well protected from the elements - after all this is a convertible.
These days you're lucky to get any wind in your hair at all in a modern convertible, which for me misses the point!
The 307 CC is no lightweight (1457Kgs - due to all the added structuralstrengthening needed to loose the roof) so don't expect Speedster Turbo-like performance. On the go the 138 Bhp 2 litre four-cylinder engine does an adequate job of moving the 307, but fails to excite with sixty coming up in just over 10 seconds.
The CC is a car not to be hurried but ideally suited to town posing (and why not). The layout of the interior is refined and covered in leather. It is a pleasant place to be. In the back you'll find two seats for two small people. If you need to carry a babyseat in the front you can switch off the passenger airbag with a turn of a key.
Prices start at €31,895 for the 1.6 version. My 2 litre test car €36,095 (the automatic is €1,600 more) while the flagship is the 180 Bhp 2 litre and it can be yours for €41,395
- Michael Sheridan
RTÉ Guide
