Pretty Peugeot: posers' perfect party piece

That grill seems to eat up the road. well it does, but quite sedately.

For not only is the car as slinky as Minky, but the new CC now also boasts a slightly boosted engine and the choice of an automatic transmission with which our sexy silver coupé-cabriolet- test car was armed.

And the Guinness beer smoothness of the new six-speed auto shift certainly adds to the driving pleasure, even though it will set you back R13 000 more than the traditional soup spoon model.

Still, 'ow you say... sedate

The engine is still the same 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that did duty under the bonnet of the previous model, but the brainy berets at Peugeot tweaked it to produce a little more power, better fuel consumption and to comply with the latest Euro 5 emissions standards.

The power is up by 5kW to 115kW (but at 200rpm more) but the torque peak of 240Nm remains the same which makes for very pleasant driving due to the fact that the torque muscles are flexing from as low down as 1400rpm.

Not that the show-off topless Peugeot has suddenly turned into a hot hatch thrasher. In spite of its sexy looks the "new" CC is only marginally faster and still takes a rather sedate 9,8 seconds to get from standstill to 100km/h and top speed hits a brick wall at just less than 200 in our test car, although Peugeot claims it will do 212km/h.

In the one kilometre dash the Peugeot is also not a tar-scorcher with the best time claim of 31 seconds.

The new CC now also boasts a slightly boosted engine and the choice of an automatic transmission.

But then this is a show-off-wanna-be-seen-in model, made to cruise and pose in, not for robot racing. Besides, it is much too expensive for the skinny jeans and hoody boy racers.

Some men will buy it, but they will probably be metro males, hairdressers or Viagra poppers. The real interest will no doubt come from the Venus fraternity, because it is an exceptionally pretty and stylish car and very much a fashion statement, along with the latest trends in perfume fragrances, lipstick and nail varnish hues.

The 308 CC Auto should also find favour with the eco-friendly types, seeing that Peugeot claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 7,7 litres/100km and CO2 exhaust emissions of 179g/km.

The torque peak of 240Nm remains the same which makes for very pleasant driving due to the fact that the torque muscles are flexing from as low down as 1400rpm.

So, more than enough reason to look good and feel good in the topless Frenchy, even though the price tag is as heavy as gold.

One of the biggest flash and dash attractions of this Peugeot is its roof which folds away in seconds, and quite spectacularly so, dah-ling, which means it is particularly impressive when you pull up right outside your favourite pavement coffee bar at sunset.

There's nothing like a warm bum when the top is down

Rather a pity then that in terms of handling, dynamics and performance the Peugeot lacks red-blooded passion. The steering is rather lifeless and it doesn't sit too sure-footedly through the twisties when the whip is out.

Sleek!

But, in fairness, this CC is very much an urban ramp model, designed for strutting its stuff rather than giving a finger to the likes of its much sharper Renault family members.

I enjoyed driving the 308 and liked the way it can be converted from coupe to cabriolet and back again at the push of a button - and the fact that I can warm my bum when the car's top is down.

I would have loved to see a little more enthusiasm under the bonnet and a quicker kick-down response from the auto transmission.

Four-seater? Er...

It is expensive at just under R350 000 compared to what the market has to offer and I'm not sure that its pretty looks and coupe-cabriolet conversion abilities quite justifies the price.

Another irritation is, like most cars of this nature, it is sold as a four-seater, but space at the rear is really tight and wriggling in and out from the back seats is not too easy.

Because the 308 CC will appeal much more to the fairer sex, I asked my wife Penny to drive the car for a day and this is what she had to say:

"I loved the roomy interior, the big bright dials and the roof which goes up or comes down at the push of a button.

"It is an easy car to drive (I liked the light, padded steering wheel), but it is not an easy car to park. The doors are big, heavy and wide-opening so getting in and out of the car in supermarket parking lots is not easy.

The roof fold-away feature should prove popular.

click to enlarge

"The door sills are also quite high and they gather rain so that skirts and jeans tend to get wet as you get in and out of the car.

"When the roof is down the head-high, sharp corners of the front windscreen is a bit off-putting for tall drivers and passengers and actually quite dangerous.

"But other than that I loved the car, even down to the cheerful beeping of the seat-belt reminder."

The 308 CC Manual costs R336 500 and our test car, the 308 CC Automatic, R349 800.

Both derivatives are covered by a three-year/100 000km warranty, and a five-year/90 000km service plan.

Specifications.

Peugeot 308 CC

Car test Peugeot 308CC