Vauxhall Tigra   Women's view

Vauxhalls Tigra Is Back But This Time Its Not Just A Corsa In Drag. June Neary Reports

The last time I checked, the Pope was still a Catholic and bears were still doing what comes naturally in the woods. Ask most young women if a car this good looking with a convertible roof and an affordable asking price suits them and youll probably be asked if you have any other questions that are rarely answered no. Although many of my more testosterone-charged workmates seemed a little underwhelmed by the Tigra, they all grudgingly acknowledged that not only was it a far better car than its predecessor but that it was also a good deal more appealing than the longtime favourite in this market sector, the Peugeot 206CC.

Lets not get too hung up on practicality here. The Tigra is all about good times and the wind in the hair. Yes, the upfront price is attractive and ongoing servicing bills are very manageable but if youre looking for a car that can manage a trip to IKEA with no worries, the Tigra probably isnt your thing. That said, its certainly not the worst in its class when it comes to luggage space.

Whereas the old Tigra was rather optimistically dubbed a 2+2 coupe, the latest version is an unashamed two seater. Its profile looks much like a Peugeot 206CC to which somebody has taken a plane and chamfered all the curves into edgy angles and gives a clue as to the cars party piece. At the press of a button, the hard top folds into the boot, turning the little coupe into a full convertible. Everybody, it seems, is getting in on the folding hard top act, with Renault, Peugeot, Lexus, Daihatsu and Mercedes all offering vanishing tin tops and many more manufacturers lining up to introduce their own.

Vauxhall have the benefit of others mistakes to draw upon in developing the Tigra. Many of the early coupe-cabriolet models looked the part but were cursed with woeful luggage space. This time round, the Tigra doesnt attempt to wedge in a pair of useless vestigial rear seats, instead offering a useful boot of 440 litres. Even with the hood cassette, in place theres 250 litres available more than enough for a weekends light luggage for two.

Its like finding a cracking set of shoes that dont kill your feet.

Jump into the snug cabin and youll find a good deal of thoughtful attention to detail. The heated rear window features a special scratchproof glass and the tiny front and rear overhangs make the car easy to park. One thing has continued from the previous Tigra model. This is still a car that will sell on the strength of its looks.

The 3D ellipsoidal headlamps and wrap-around tail lights have the requisite bejewelled looks and the wedge shape that rises from front to rear helps the Tigra avoid the pram look that afflicts many small convertibles. The rear section of the Tigras roof structure can be specified in a contrasting colour; either Matt Star Silver or an aluminium shade, Matt Moonland, which sounds more like a 1960s record company executive to me. Alternatively you can opt for the targa roof bar finished in body colour. When this includes a hue as violent as Yellow Punch, its enough to create quite an impression!

Prices for the petrol cars start at £13,995 for the 1.4-litre model and top out at £16,025 for the more powerful 1.8-litre variant in Sport trim. The other option is a 1.

3-litrte CDTi diesel which is available from £15,035. These prices compare very favourably with the Nissan Micra C+C and the Mitsubishi Colt CZC and given that the Vauxhall is a sportier design, the Tigra must be deemed a bargain. The MINI One convertible gives the Vauxhall a run for its money in the desirability stakes but the folding soft top isnt anything like as well engineered as the Tigras hard top roof.

One of the joys of owning a two seater car is that even if youre a nominated driver on a night out, as long as youre with a partner, you know youre not going to get suckered into being a taxi service for inebriated colleagues. I remember looking into the bleary eyes of one of my partners friends telling him he had to get a taxi home due to no more passenger space. Lets just say the taxi driver levied the £25 surcharge on him. The Tigra is a great city scoot but probably works best as a second car.

Vauxhall have been bold in the cars design and deserve every success. Tigra owners no longer need to ready themselves with an explanation.