Nissan Micra C+C Essenza

Peugeot's success hasn't gone unnoticed. Eager to attract the same buyers, Nissan is launching its Micra C+C next month. Aimed at the Vauxhall Tigra, the Sunderland-built car was created with the help of drop-top expert Karmann.

The result is a glass-panelled roof that's a masterpiece of design and engineering. Raising or lowering it takes 22 seconds, and requires nothing more than a press of a button. Unlike in the 206 CC, there are no fiddly catches to worry about.

With a long, steeply raked windscreen, the roof is short. But there's 116mm of extra body length, so boot capacity is a class-leading 255 litres when the top is down. With it up, it's 457 litres - and there's also stowage space under the front passenger seat.

While the roof itself is impressive, the overall styling is less so, and the C+C suffers from the same boot-heavy appearance that plagues many coup