Raining champ?

And what were we greeted with when we got our first opportunity behind the wheel? Thunderstorms, leaden skies and torrential downpours! Typical...

However, such weather isn't a problem in the 307 CC. As with its baby sibling, the 206 CC, this car is both convertible and coupé, meaning that it has a retractable steel hard-top to keep the worst of the British weather at bay.

With the metal lid in place, it's as refined as any other model in the 307 line-up. The engine sounds a bit coarse at high revs, but in cruising mode the CC is a perfectly acceptable companion. Performance-wise, the 138bhp 2.0-litre is no fireball, but it's swift enough.

The car shares the 307's virtues on the twisty stuff as well. The chassis feels well balanced, turn-in is sharp and there's a good throttle response, while gearchanges with the five-speed manual box are excellent.

And the good news is that the CC loses little of its agility with the roof down - an operation that takes only 15 seconds at the flick of a switch. There's some scuttle shake on bumpy or uneven surfaces, but the Peugeot acquits itself well, with no noticeable loss of body stiffness. The cabin is well insulated, too, with passengers in the front seats adequately protected from the elements thanks to the steeply raked windscreen.

Inside, the front is standard 307 fare, which means you get a logically laid-out dashboard and easy-to-use controls. It looks fairly stylish, too, with neat metalised detailing, chrome-ringed white dials and leather coverings on the facia, while the sporty image is boosted by the aluminium gearlever and pedals. That said, the optional sat-nav screen fitted to the car we drove looked like an ungainly afterthought.

In the back, the 307 is also practical. There's a surprising amount of room for two adults to sit in reasonable comfort, while the low roofline doesn't impede too badly on rear headroom. The boot isn't huge though, and we couldn't figure out how to open it initially because the release button is concealed in the '0' of the rear badge. But you do get a useful luggage net and a full-size spare wheel.

Fans of sportier models will have to wait until January for the 180bhp version, which will have the same engine as the 206 GTi 180. But until then, this 138bhp version is a good compromise, offering fine practicality for a convertible and an impressive dash of style.

It's a long time until the spring, when you can start showing off in traffic jams with your magic roof, but despite that, the 307 CC is still a very desirable offering, come rain or shine.