WITH its lime-green paintwork, stubby body, bulging headlamps and grinning 'mouth' grille, our Peugeot 207CC test-car could have only one name: Kermit.

But frog jokes or not, the car's proportions are spot on. It looks pert yet purposeful, and something about it just makes girls want to hop in and go topless. By lowering the roof, that is.

The two-part folding metal top is very clever - lift a little lever on the centre console, and the whole roof rises and whirrs itself into the open boot. Within 25 seconds, the little car has transformed itself from a sporty hardtop coupe into a roadster.

The cabin is rather more sober than the exterior, but the fundamentals are right. The seating position is good, visibility is superb all round even with the roof in place, and everything is sturdily built and fits well.

Forget about taking more than one passenger though. There is an almost complete absence of rear leg-room, so the 207CC's rear seats are only good for the shopping. The glovebox is also small and poorly shaped, and it spills its contents when you open it.

The boot is well-sized though, and even when the roof is stowed, there's still enough space under it for some squashable bags.

Move off, and the first thing that strikes you is the mournful-sounding motor - a cardinal sin in a convertible, where the engine is so much more audible to the occupants and where a rorty note can add immensely to the whole wind-in-hair experience.

It may not sound very keen, but the 1.6-litre engine, jointly developed with BMW, is eager enough, revving smoothly and delivering a useful 120bhp at its 6,000rpm limit.

The engine needs revs to perform, but sometimes the four-speed automatic gearbox (with Tiptronic-style manual override function) can prove uncooperative. Second gear is too tall, and the gearbox is reluctant to kickdown to first even at near-walking pace, so acceleration out of tight bends and away from junctions can often be frustratingly glacial.

But things improve when the car gets into its stride. The ride is firm but very well judged, and the handling is an absolute hoot. Around bends, there's heaps of front-end grip and very little body roll. Barrel into a corner, and you can really feel the front tyres digging into the tarmac and pivoting the car through the turn.

The steering is accurate, and at faster speeds there is a reassuring weight and excellent feel to the helm. With the top down, the body feels rigid and tremor-free, even over the roughest roads we could find.

This is no sportscar, but as fun personal transport and as a lifestyle statement, the 207CC hits the spot. And it is good to drive too. It may sport a cheesy grin on its 'face', but take it for a roof-down romp on a quiet winding road, and you will have an equally large smile on yours.