206 CC successor revealed

It debuted as the 207 Epure concept at September's Paris motor show, but here's the first look at the upcoming Peugeot 207 CC in full showroom trim.

The all-new hard-topped convertible is destined to replace the existing 206 CC in showrooms during 2007 and it's said to bring some worthwhile improvements over its popular predecessor (which was the first car to offer a folding steel roof at an affordable price).

The 207 CC carries over the same basic proportions as its forerunner, but it gains contemporary Peugeot design language, which, of course, means it's got a grin like the proverbial cat that scoffed the canary.

The new-generation CC is based on the 207's stiffer (compared with the 206 CC) front-wheel drive chassis and the whole car is an in-house project. The 206 CC's roof was provided by French supplier, Heuliez.

The 206 CC has been a global success, and its tally of 360,000 sales means it's the world's best-selling small coupe-cabriolet. This is despite the fact that its roof mechanism was initially marred by glitches.

Peugeot will obviously be hoping its new folding-roof system has no such gremlins. It's certainly simpler to operate (the current car's twist release handle is gone); all you need to do is hold down a button and windows and roof disappear in around 25 seconds.

The 207 CC's engine line-up will include the new 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit jointly developed with BMW. This motor has already been sampled in turbo form by CarPoint in the new Mini Cooper S and 207 GT (see

In normally aspirated trim the four-pot ekes out 90kW and 160Nm, while the addition of a turbo boosts outputs to 110kW and 240Nm. Euro-spec models will also be offered with a 1.6-litre common-rail turbodiesel.

Peugeot claims the 1.6-litre petrol CC accelerates to 100km/h in 10.7sec, while the turbo variant knocks off the increment in a distinctly sharper 8.6sec.

The seats are mounted lower than in the hatch, and Peugeot claims they fold easily to get access to the rear seats. Boot space is reasonable for a small convertible, stowing 187 litres in topless mode and 449 litres with the lid raised.

Although now in well into its twilight, the 206 CC is still a steady seller in Australia -- the pint-sized coupe-cabrio notched up 487 Australian sales until the end of November.