The C3 Pluriel comes with a choice of two petrol engines: a 74bhp 1.4 or a 108bhp 1.6. There's also a punchy 1.4 diesel. While the 1.4s come with a five-speed manual gearbox, the 1.6 petrol’s Sensodrive ’box offers five-speed sequential manual or automatic modes. The 1.6 is a little quicker, but the jerky gearbox hinders progress.

The Pluriel is lacklustre to drive. The featherweight steering weights up at speed, but gives little feel and body control is poor. The soft ride is okay on smooth roads, but bumps and broken surfaces shudder through the body and there’s a noticeable increase in body flex when the side pillars are removed.

Unlike some open-top cars, the Pluriel doesn’t demand too many sacrifices from the driver. Neither engine is unduly noisy or rough, and road noise is quite well contained, if not as subdued as on the C3 hatchback. With the roof up there’s some wind noise, but it’s not excessive and things aren’t too blustery with the roof down.

In 1.4 form, the Pluriel is one of the cheapest open-topped cars around and even the 1.6 undercuts many rivals. Running costs should be sensible thanks to average fuel consumption of more than 40mpg and comparatively low insurance groupings for both models. Resale values aren’t brilliant, but discounts are easy to come by.

The interior plastics are down to the same standard as the C3 hatchback's, so you're not exactly living the high life. The Pluriel feels more shoddily put together than the hatchback, too, because you hear more creaks and rattles. The engines shouldn't cause problems, but some parts of the complex roof assembly don’t look durable. We've heard some worrying reliability stories from readers, too.

All Pluriels come with anti-lock brakes along with twin front and side airbags. Reinforced front pillars and rear seat backs provide extra rollover protection when the side pillars are removed. Deadlocks are standard, but only 1.6 models come with an alarm.

The Pluriel’s dashboard is the same as the C3 hatch’s, so it’s easy to use and has well placed controls. Two-way steering adjustment and driver’s seat-height adjustment make for an adaptable driving position, but the Pluriel’s flat, soft seats don’t provide enough support for longer journeys and with the fabric roof fully folded, rear vision is obscured.

There’s decent space in the front, but the rear is only suitable for kids unless your journey is a very short one. The boot is a decent size, but because the roof is stored underneath the boot floor when folded, you need to empty the boot when you want to put the top down.

Two trims are available, known as Cote D'Azur and Code. The entry-level Cote D'Azur cars have things like remote central locking, four powered windows, cruise control, front foglights, and a CD player, but miss things like alloy wheels and air-con. The Code version checks these boxes, and also adds leather seats, and electric folding door mirrors.