Peugeot 307 CC HDi 136

Better looking and cheaper to run: That's the promise being sold with the facelifted Peugeot 307 CC, so we took the car for a spin to see if it lives up to the hype.

As with the SW we drove last week, the coupί¿½-cabrio's nose job is the most striking change. Dramatic headlights are joined by circular foglamps, and at the rear are colour-coded red clusters.

The metal folding roof retracts easily, converting the four-seater coupί¿½ into a cabriolet in only 25 seconds. Inside the updated cockpit, new safety features include seatbelt warnings and anti-whiplash head restraints.

Under the bonnet, there's a new 136bhp 2.0-litre 16-valve diesel engine, while the petrol line-up is unchanged. This comprises a 110bhp 1.6-litre 16v powerplant and a 2.0-litre with either 140bhp or 180bhp. We drove the new oil-burner, which made light work of our motorway miles. The six-speed manual gearbox was slick and the steering nicely weighted.

The cabrio's new looks and added economy might tempt fans of the outgoing model. But we doubt it's enough to give key rival the Renault Mί¿½gane Coupί¿½-Cabriolet a run for its money.