“Convertibles wearing
  metal tops have,
  predictably, really
  taken off in the past
  year. Vauxhall’s entry
  into the booming
  CC stakes is the four-
  seat Astra TwinTop
  and happily, it’s as
  enjoyable to drive
  when it’s raining as
  it is when the sun
  is shining...”

THERE'S ALWAYS A BENEFIT if you're coming late to the feast. In the case of the new metal-topped coupe-convertible, the Astra TwinTop, Vauxhall gave themselves time to consider long and hard before deciding to use a compact three-piece folding metal hard-top. Two-piece CC roofs not only need more boot space, but result in a more pronounced 'aircraft carrier' rear deck. Full marks to Vauxhall, because the TwinTop's tail is short and sweet. A valuable knock-on result is liveable rear seat accommodation for two adult passengers — as we found when we took two friends on a tour of the winding roads in the North Norfolk countryside near King's Lynn.

More good news: the curvy roof is fully automatic. One press of the button in the overhead console and opening and closing cycles each take less than thirty seconds. The sunshine mode starts with the side windows going down, then the roof lifting, stacking and folding away. To complete the sequence, the four windows return to their closed position. The rain mode is the same again but, obviously, in reverse order. You can even operate the roof on the move — at up to 18mph. Handy for those sudden squalls that have a knack of damping down British summer days. And if you really can't resist impressing your friends, you can open and close the roof remotely using the TwinTop's keyfob.

With five electric motors, eight hydraulic cylinders and 14 articulated joints, potential buyers could be forgiven for asking how reliable the roof is. Prior to going on sale, the TwinTop's roof underwent the equiv-alent of 20 years' durability testing. And we have to say that we've never had any kind of problem with coupe-cabriolets.

The range consists of three petrol and one diesel. The former come in three performance flavours: 104bhp 1.6-litre, 139bhp 1.8-litre VVT and a turboed 2.0-litre with 198bhp. The diesel unit, as tested here, is a 1.9-litre CDTi direct-injection turbocharged unit good for 148bhp and 236lb ft of torque. The 1.6 and 1.8-litre engines make do with 5-speed manual gearboxes with an auto option on the 1.8. The 2.0 Turbo petrol and the diesel have six-speed manual 'boxes.

Buyers can also choose from three specification levels: TwinTop, Twin-Top Sport and TwinTop Design. Even the 'TwinTop' entry-level model
is well spec'd and includes air conditioning, power steering, four air-bags, active head restraints, height-adjustable front seats, a reach and rake adjustable steering column, MP3 compatible radio/CD, four electric windows, powered and heated door mirrors, 16-inch alloys with low-pro rubber, leather-rim steering wheel with audio controls, rollover protection hoops and ABS with Emergency Brake Assist, Cornering Brake Control and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution.

The Design model 1.9 CDTi we tested adds a sports steering wheel with built-in audio controls, a trip computer, front fog lights, 'pop-up' roll-over protection, rain-sensitive wipers, auto lights, auto-dipping rear-view mirror, windbreak, 17-inch alloys, an electronic stability pro-gramme (ESP-Plus with Traction Control), Sport mode and an upgrade to automatic air-con.

Nowhere is the old adage about 'you pays your money and you makes your choice' as apt as in the CC market and putting a TwinTop on your drive won't break the bank — starting, as they do, at £17,180. If you want the range-topping 2.0 Turbo, it costs £21,310 and the 1.9 turbo-diesel is priced from £19,650. Main rivals in the 'mid-size' sector include the Peugeot 307CC, Renault Megane Coupé Cabriolet, VW's Golf-based EOS and Ford's Focus Coupé Cabriolet.

Visually, the TwinTop stacks up well. Not all the others look as good roof up as a coupe as well as top down as a convertible. The tail treatment in particular is smooth, with no hint of the 'bustle' that spoils the lines of some of its rivals. From the front the look is sporty, with sharp stacked headlight units cutting into the bonnet and wings, which run neatly into the A-pillars. The subtly-defined wheel arches add interest and — combined with the low roof, high rear flanks and sweep-ing swage line — create a refined and elegant profile. Top down, the TwinTop achieves an even more streamlined look.

Within its compact dimensions, the TwinTop really will accommodate four adults. We know — we've tried it successfully. Luggage is not a problem for four so long as you keep the lid up until you've checked into your hotel. Touring with the top down is great and you still have 205 litres of load space. With the metal roof raised, the boot has a capacity of 440 litres — a good size, and substantially more than the Astra 5-door's 350 litres. Additional storage space is provided in two compartments in the boot's side panels, while a useful load-through facility lets you carry long items. An Easy Load function lets you load/unload your luggage more easily when the roof is folded in the upper part of the boot. Simply push the appropriate switch and the carrier holding the folded roof sections will rise by 25 centimetres.

More important than luggage is the genuine ability to carry two adult rear passengers. Again, it's the three-section design of the metal roof that benefits passenger space, allowing a larger centre roof section which allows more space and headroom for passengers in the rear.
A secondary effect is that the A-pillars do not have to lean back as far, which in turn provides more headroom for the driver and front passenger as well as easier entry/exit for everybody.

Rattling around in the back of some CCs can be a daunting experience but the Astra TwinTop proved to be comfortable as we enjoyed our whistle-stop tour of Norfolk. The only drawback was for adults con-stantly getting in and out of the back, but this was made easier once the roof was down. The efficient air conditioning kept everyone cool, while the heater did a sterling job when sweeping cold rain blurred the scenery.

Inside the Astra TwinTop is a pleasant and airy user-friendly cabin, fitted out with decent trim materials and demonstrably good fit and finish. Adding to the open feeling is a refreshingly unfussy fascia. Chrome-ringed instruments are sited dead ahead of the driver — as
are the pedals — with secondary controls all easily reachable on the metal-look centre stack. The switchgear and column stalks all operate efficiently and, in addition to four separate window switches, there's a one-shot up/down master button that works all four windows at once.

Instruments are lit at night with a soothing deep yellow light that's easy on the eyes. Adding some practicality is a large two-tier glovebox that easily converts into an even larger single box. We especially liked the flashing seat belt reminder — so much more civilised than the kind that emit an electronic screech until you belt up.

Run your finger down the list of extra equipment fitted to the top of the range Design model and you'll find an item marked 'Sport switch'. This is sited with the heated seat switches along the top edge of the centre stack. Press it for a quicker throttle response and sharper steering — it's a very noticeable difference.

The sporty-looking, well-bolstered height-adjustable front seats are well-shaped and — during our three-day 500-mile trip around Norfolk
— proved themselves to be comfortable and supportive. In addition
to the normal adjusters, the driving seat has a useful tilt facility and the driver also gets manual lumbar adjustment and a meaty, leather-wrapped three-spoke wheel that adjusts for height and reach. The three-stage heated seats do an excellent job, sending a pleasant
wave of heat all the way up your back.

While there was praise for the driving position from the two drivers, there were no complaints from the two ladies travelling in the back seats with the roof up. They did comment that, despite the tilt-and-slide Easy Entry front seats and wide doors, getting in was definitely easier than getting back out after a few stops. Once in, however, it was comfortable enough not to notice the passing miles.

Where these metal-roofed coupe-cabriolets really win out over their soft-top counterparts is in structural rigidity. With the roof in place there's none of the body flex or scuttle shake associated with tradit-ional convertibles. In fact, the TwinTop scores well in this department — we didn't notice any 'shakes' during our test, even running with the top down over some pretty lumpy roads. For extra safety, hidden behind the adjustable rear head restraints are pop-up rollover bars.

The TwinTop's composure and agility is as good as that of the latest Astra Hatchback — itself rated one of the best in its class. On the move, the TwinTop is easy to place and it steers, brakes and handles well. The steering uses a speed-sensitive electro-hydraulic system and feels nicely weighted, providing enough feedback to make driving on more demanding B-roads something to be looked forward to. Obviously the TwinTop is no sports car, but then it doesn't for one minute pre-tend to be. It is a satisfying drive, especially with the 1.9-litre CDTi powerplant under the bonnet and, even on the larger 18-inch alloys wearing 225/45 ultra low profile tyres fitted to our test car, it serves up an easygoing ride.

With a substantial 236lb ft of torque on call from 2,000rpm there's impressive mid-range pace and on motorways you can more or less leave the gear lever in 6th and forget about it. Nicely partnered to the flexible power, the six-speeder shifts cleanly — and the economy is better than you would expect, even from a thoroughly-modern diesel. Officially, the 1.9 CDTi will return 55.4mpg on a run, 47.1 combined
and a commendable 37.2 around town. Over our 500 test miles we recorded an overall average of 43.7mpg. Easy to drive and easy on your pocket.

Top up, cabin refinement is good; lid down and windows up, it's a very pleasant and unruffled ride. With the windbreaker slotted into place, wind buffeting inside the car is pleasingly low. The cabin is acceptably quiet and cosy, even at motorway speeds.

Something else the TwinTop can do is to 'see' around corners at night.
Or more accurately, it can help the driver to do so. Vauxhall's Adapt-ive Forward Lighting is a steering-linked bi-Xenon headlamp system
that sheds more light on night driving. Depending on the steering wheel position and road speed, it swivels the headlight beams up to 15 degrees in the direction you turn the steering wheel to light up where you're heading. Then, above 65mph, it raises the dipped beam slightly, extending the range of vision for increased safety. It automatically returns the beam to its normal position when you drop back below that speed and a beam width regulator prevents on-coming traffic from being dazzled. Does it work? It certainly does, and it makes a sub-stantial improvement to night-time visibility.

Making a decision to buy a versatile TwinTop should be pretty easy because it's got such a lot going for it: affordable prices; good performance; eye-catching but not showy looks; a clever and fully-automatic roof and four seats for four real-sized adults that can be enjoyed during all four seasons. Most important of all, it delivers an unruffled top-down ride. That alone will clinch it for most TwinTop buyers.

Vauxhall Astra TwinTop 1.9 CDTi Design | £21,150 Maximum speed: 132mph | 0-60mph: 9.5 seconds Overall test MPG: mpg | Power: 148bhp | Torque: 236lb ft Visit Vauxhall's website