“They say it’s always
  Summer somewhere.
  Well, if you live in the
  UK you’ll be pleased to
  know that if you drive
  one of Vauxhall’s Tigra
  coupé-convertibles,
  it doesn’t matter a jot.
  Because whatever the
  weather, you’ll be
  covered...”

A CRISP SOUND-BITE that describes Vauxhall's coupé- cabrio Tigra in two words? Legally Blonde. Like a blonde,
it has that je ne sais quoi that just makes you turn back for
a second look. And like the blonde in the film of the same name who fought against type to become a savvy lawyer, the Tigra has something more than just cool looks.

In its own niche pond it's a sharply styled fish. Looking at its contemp-orary lines and its nicely conceived sporty appearance, it's hard to guess that it's based on a Corsa platform — with which it shares many of its components. Never mind its family DNA. Up close, the Tigra looks a quality product.

It's short and wide with an angular nose and rakish windscreen, a low waistline and a stubby behind — no, its pert behind doesn't look fat, unlike like those that shake on some of its contemporaries — set off by four strongly defined wheel arches. Like the archetypal blonde, the Tigra can afford to smile at its reflection in the shop windows as it drives down the high street: it's lean and well groomed proportions will be clocked by many, especially if it's one of the range-topping Exclusiv Red models — only available with the 89bhp 1.4-litre or the 123bhp 1.8 engine.

Topping the two core trim specifications — standard and Sport — are two high-value special editions models, each offering generous equipment levels for keen prices: the aptly-named Exclusiv and Exclusiv Red — as tested here in 1.4i spec.

The Tigra Exclusiv kit includes as standard a windblocker, charcoal leather, heated Sports seats, air conditioning, a stereo radio/CD with MP3 capability plus a set of smart 17-inch five-spoke alloys. Exclusiv Red adds to that; vibrant red leather seat facings, door trims and head restraints, metallic or pearlescent paintwork (blue, silver or black) and unique finish 17-inch alloy wheels that really look the business: a 5-star design shod with 205/45 lo-pros, finished in a dark shade of metallic grey with polished alloy outer faces. Very smart — and very easy to keep clean, too!

While we're talking nicely considered touches, we should mention the smart satin chrome finish to the front 'V' bonnet trim, the colour-coded outer door handles that have a smooth, expensive action and the satin chrome side indicator repeaters integrated into the side air inlets that carry the Heuliez logo. Tigras are manufactured for Vauxhall in Groupe Henri Heuliez SA's leading-edge facility at Cerizay, France.

Reassuringly, to confirm each Tigra is at its optimum when it leaves the factory every car undergoes a comprehensive final performance and quality check on the Heuliez test track.

All of the above is in addition to the state-of-the-art electro-hydraulic powered folding metal roof, tilt-adjustable leather sport steering wheel with remote audio controls, power steering, aluminium pedals, heated and electrically-adjustable door mirrors, power steering, front fog lights, electrically-operated boot lid, height adjustment for both front seats, ABS, driver's and passenger's front and side airbags, active safety head restraints and a matt chrome wave-shaped aluminium roll over bar behind the seats.

The dash ergonomics are straightforward and the cabin ambience is definitely enhanced by the abundance of red leather. Aluminium pedals and silver detailing also brighten things up, and the fit and finish is good throughout. The alloy-look centre stack houses the audio and air conditioning controls and the 'siamesed' 140mph speedometer and rev-counter are straight ahead of you: their white faces and black figures are easy to read. The red-line is set at 6,500rpm — and the 4-cylinder 1,364cc 16-valve engine will gladly (if just a little lazily) go there.

Although the three-spoke leather-wrapped wheel only adjusts for rake, a good driving position is still assured. Don't bother looking for rear seats — the Tigra is an unashamed two-seater. And better for it: good legroom and good 'outer' elbow room. However, an easily overlooked benefit is the easy-to-miss large stowage cubby behind the seatbacks. At 16 inches deep, 35 inches wide and 7 inches tall it's big enough (70 litres) for a weekender case or a whole variety of oddments from coats to shopping. Both seat backs tilt easily forwards for access. A retaining net keeps stored items neatly in place and, for a compact two-seater, there are ample cubby-holes and storage bins.

Equally important in a UK-market convertible, the single-setting heated seats (both driver's and passenger's) get nice and hot. Raise the roof and it looks just as smart from inside, thanks to the smartly trimmed hard-top. For the record, with the metal top in place there's a good three inches of headroom.

Like most coupé-convertibles, the Tigra's metal roof folds fully into the boot and there's the usual moveable partition to stop your luggage being squashed. As with all such systems, you need to make sure it's pulled across if you're planning on lowering the 'tin-top'. Not a problem — and the boot is of a good size, whichever configuration you're using, with 440 litres available top up and 250 litres top down.

Getting the top down is simple: release the two header rail catches, pull the switch and the windows drop, the roof folds away, let go of the switch and the windows rise. That's it. Top down, the cabin is unexpectedly snug; the material wind-blocker does an excellent job of preventing buffeting. A nice touch is that the wind-blocker's mesh is easy to see through, so it can be left in place when you raise the metal roof.

The two-section folding metal roof — designed by Heuliez — tucks away into the rear deck speedily and tidily at the push of a button. Impressively, in a car costing from £14K, it does so with a minimum of mechanical growling. Even more impressive, the whole thing feels reassuringly robust. Another novel touch is the one-touch boot button. One quick push and the bootlid swings skywards — great if you've an armful of shopping. However, to close it again you need to keep your finger on the button until it closes fully. Park the Tigra and you'll be surprised at just how compact its 'footprint' is: Vauxhall has indeed managed to squeeze a lot inside the Tigra without making it feel cramped — which is just great if you happen to live (and drive) in a city.

Fire up the engine and pull away and the Tigra is brisker than you might have expected, given its official 12 second 0-60mph time. Back-ing up its 89bhp there's 92lb ft of torque at 4,000rpm. Top speed is 112mph — more than enough. If you want more oomph you'll have to buy the 1.8-litre; that knocks the 0-60mph time down to 9.4 seconds and raises the top speed to 127mph. You'll pay for it, though, at the pumps. The 1.4's consumption figures are 34.9, 46.3 and 56.5mpg respectively for city, combined and touring conditions. The 1.8's are 25.9, 36.7 and 48.7mpg.

Despite the lack of power — the 1.4-litre lacks outright punch and you need to floor it if you really want to keep on the pace — it doesn't disappoint. Sure, it's no Bugatti Veyron. But then it doesn't pretend to be. Where it scores is in providing top-down driving — no muscle required — as epitomised by the old Esso jingle: Happy Motoring. That's not to say you can't punt it about if you're in the mood. Do so and you'll find that the stiff bodyshell — ideally with the metal roof tightly closed — serves up good body control. And there's no shortage of grip from the well-balanced chassis.

Considering the Tigra's sport suspension set-up the ride is surprisingly good. However, the short wheelbase means it comes over all harsh when you cross a speed hump although the rest of the time it's per-fectly acceptable. The steering is sharp enough, and feels well match-ed to the Tigra's performance. Ventilated discs at the front help provide fuss-free stopping. Taken as a whole, the complete package works well. No doubt, and as Vauxhall obviously intended, you can have fun (that word again!) driving a Tigra.

More good news is that Vauxhall's 'baby' is enjoying healthy retained values, it's economical to run, servicing costs are very reasonable thanks to 20,000-mile/2-year maintenance intervals and Vauxhall's extensive dealer network will make getting it serviced as hassle-free as you can hope for. For many owners buying into the Coupé-Convertible experience, the Tigra not only makes a lot of sense financially, it's one of the best-looking of its kind and it's pleasurable to drive all year round. In other words, it gets our vote.

Vauxhall Tigra Exclusiv Red 1.4i | £15,545 Maximum speed: 112mph | 0-60mph: 12 seconds Overall test MPG: 33mpg | Power: 89bhp | Torque: 92lb ft CO2 146g/km | VED Band C £115 | Insurance group 10D Visit Vauxhall's website