Nissan launches new coupe convertible in time for winter

Just in time for our long winter months Nissan's Micra C+C coupe/convertible goes on sale following its debut in production format at the Frankfurt Motor Show. For a couple of years now Peugeot have had things their own way in the convertible market here in the UK, taking the (ahem) lion's share of the growing segment. The Micra is squarely aimed at the best-selling 206 CC. Though the Peugeot 206 CC range starts at a lower price, the cars are broadly comparable when you take into account the standard specification.

The Micra C+C is available in three trim levels, Urbis, Sport and Essenza, starting at £13,150 and rising to a fiver under fifteen grand for the leather and Alcantara trimmed, highly specified Essenza. Power for the entry-level model comes from a 1.4-litre engine with just 86bhp. Confirming that the Micra is more about show than go, the most powerful engine option is a 1.6-litre with 108bhp, though the C+C does manage to hit 60mph in a respectable 10 seconds with this engine fitted.

Of far more importance to the target audience will be the slick two-piece folding hard-top that folds behind the rear seats (yup, it's a four-seater, though a cramped one) in a mere 22 seconds at the touch of a single button. That roof incorporates a large glass area, which neither the 206 CC nor the Vauxhall Tigra have. You may not appreciate it at first glance, but the Micra C+C is a substantially changed car from the regular hatchback. It shares the bonnet and front wings, but the rest is new. The basic underpinnings remain, but in an attempt to combat the dreaded scuttle shake a significant amount of work has been done to increase the structural stiffness even with the roof stowed, including a 'dynamic damper'. Should make for a refined drive.