Peugeot 206 CC S Petrol

Peugeot's 206CC isn't just a pretty face - it's a thoroughly clever piece of packaging in almost every respect. That roof, first, is a straightforward solution to a thorny problem. You don't need to know how it works (hydraulic motors with electronic controls), only how to work it (with two catches and a button). You can take for granted that it works quickly and quietly, allows the security and interior refinement of a hard-top with all the advantages of a soft-top, and implies little penalty in weight or space-taking. Then there's the driving experience and, especially, the chassis behaviour. The option of top-up or top-down modes speaks for itself, but Peugeot has been clever in making both work almost as well as in the tin-top hatch on which the 206CC is based. This is not easy. Removing the roof from cars takes away a major part of the shell's stiffness. Replacing lost rigidity is difficult, and usually implies a weight penalty. Peugeot has managed a fine balance. Extra metal in the sills, the door and screen pillars, under the floor, behind the rear seats and in the rear skirt add about 110lb to the shell weight of a 206 hatch, while swapping the fixed roof for a moveable one contributes to a total weight increase of around 265lb, but the stiffening is effective, as is the shape. With the roof fixed, the CC feels little different from the 206 hatch, even on poor surfaces; with the top down, there is inevitably some body flexing, but never enough to corrupt what the car has to offer - which is most of the driving dynamics of the 206 GTi hatchback. That car is known for