Soft top stunner

While the rain lashes down during an average summer, convertibles continue to fly off garage forecourts at a record rate.

Elegant, but is it practical for the UK? In the first three months of this year alone, more than 30,000 convertibles took to the roads and leading the way among the new breed is the elegant Renault Mgane Coup-Cabriolet.

The first car to be equipped as standard with a folding glass roof, it comes with four seats, luggage space worthy of a saloon, surprising comfort, a light and airy interior and excellent all-round visibility.

It also offers a real choice, with three petrol engines and a diesel, and three transmissions -- five- and six-speed manual and a four-speed automatic with manual over-ride.

The real delight of drop-top gorgeous Megane CC is that it works equally well in either coupe or cabriolet form and it gives enough passenger and luggage space to make buying one an option even if you have children.

You sit about an inch lower in the CC than the Megane Hatch, which adds to the sporty feel that pervades the entire car.

Electrically-assisted power steering makes manoeuvring the car in tight spots a doddle and the system is set up to deliver increased feel as speed increases.

Visibility can be a real problem with convertibles, when the hood is up, but Renault have sidestepped potential problems by using a pillarless door design and that Karmann-developed glass roof.

Operation of the 4mm-thick glass roof is simple and quick. Opening and closing, performed entirely by an electro-hydraulic mechanism, are entirely automatic and require no additional latching. Touch the button and 22 seconds later the roof is folded away in boot. Electric door mirrors, four electric windows with one-touch opening, anti-draught nets and safety hoops, covered with soft foam, all add to the comfort.

There are several stowage spaces including a cooled 17-litre glove box, which is automatically locked whenever the doors are locked, to protect its contents from theft.