Citroen C3 Pluriel

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Rating:
On the road price: £14,595 - £14,795
For : Fun, surprisingly practical, cheap
Against : Fiddly roof, low rent plastics inside

It might answer a load of questions that nobody really asked but you can't help but admire Citroen's Pluriel. Here's a supermini which can, with a bit of effort, be converted into a full convertible, or a 'pick-up' with the rear seats folded - marking a return to full-blown wackiness for the French marque. Based on the C3 it retains its supermini credentials, even if some space in the rear is lost to the hood mechanism. You'll forgive the loss of space for the additional fun that the Pluriel injects to the C3, and while it's no sporting drive, for those wanting a funky-looking four-seat convertible in a relatively practical package then the Pluriel fits the bill perfectly.

Power comes from 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines and a 1.4-litre HDI diesel. The 1.6 only comes with Citroen's Sensodrive paddle-shift transmission. The 1.4-litre is the better choice, a sweeter engine, it's more refined than the 1.6, and although the five-speed manual transmission is clumsy it's still preferable to the fussy Sensodrive. Opt for the diesel though if you're after maximum economy from your Pluriel. All give you the choice as to how much sun you want to experience, the canvass roof sliding back through a number of positions, fully retracted it can be stowed under the floor in the boot. Leave it like that and you can put it back up if it rains, but if you're confident in the weather you can remove the side bars for full-convertible mode. Do so and if you chance upon a shower then you'll need to find cover until it passes as you have to leave the bars at home. It's unlikely then that many owners will open the Pluriel completely, but the option is there if you want it. Citroen claims five cars in one, a bit of a stretch we think, but we can't deny that it's a fun package, that's practical, well priced and reasonably specified too.