You are going to have to bear with me this week. As a rather bulky male with an affinity for powerful sports cars and neither knowledge of nor interest in the impenetrable world of fashion, you might think I am the last person who should be telling you whether the dainty little Nissan Micra C+C is worth buying or not. I don’t know if the coupé-convertible is “trendy”, nor whether the colour schemes dreamt up for it are cutting edge or the greatest fashion faux pas since the emperor’s new clothes.

Then again, I figure that you’re perfectly capable of judging such things for yourself. If you like the way it looks, read on; if you don’t, nothing I might say could possibly tempt you into buying one.

What I can tell you is that, looks aside, this is by far the best candidate to challenge the drop-top Mini for the title of most capable small convertible hatchback on the road. What’s more, it’s at least as British. Designed in Paddington, engineered in Cranfield and built in Sunderland, it goes on sale with two engines and three trim levels on November 14.

The cheapest is the £13,150 1.4 litre Urbis, which Nissan must assume nobody’s going to buy, for why else would it charge just £845 extra for the 1.6 litre Sport, which has 108bhp rather than a puny 87bhp and comes with big alloy wheels and air-conditioning as standard? A further grand buys the same car but with leather and alcantara trim, a six-CD changer, climate control and the ability to unlock and start the car while the key is still in your pocket.

Or, I should say, handbag. This is a car aimed squarely at the female buyer. Indeed, two-thirds of all cars in this sector are owned by women.

Nissan has thought exceptionally hard about tuning the C+C for its female audience. One engineer told me of the agonies they faced deciding whether to put the vanity mirror in front of the driver or passenger before opting for the only sensible solution and doing both. There’s a hook on which to sling your handbag, a tissue box holder in the glove box lid and a mobile phone tray in the cupholder. There’s even a compartment under the passenger seat that will hide a handbag and is wired up to the central locking, so you can leave the car, roof down with your valuables safely secured.

Such details help make the Micra C+C, if nothing else, the most practical cheap convertible out there. What’s more, not only does it have the only folding glass roof in the class, it is the only one that operates entirely at the press of a button. There are rear seats but, like those in its rival, the steel-roofed Peugeot 206CC, they are useful only for the characters in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

Unlike the Peugeot, however, it also has a boot that’s so big that, with the roof up, it has a greater carrying capacity than a Jaguar S-type. Even once you’ve lowered the roof — which takes 22 seconds — there’s enough space to make it a practical tourer, especially if the rear seats are used as extra stowage.

It’s also reasonably fun to drive in a rather mild-mannered, pedestrian way. Like all such cars, the folding roof adds hugely to the weight, blunting performance badly, but its 1.6 litre motor is willing enough, the gearbox crisp and precise, and its handling engaging. It also suffers from little of the body shake on poorly surfaced roads that blights almost every other small convertible.

But there are faults. The driving position, though 14mm lower than that of a standard Micra hatch, still feels way too high, leaving the impression that you’re perched on the car rather than seated snugly inside. The steering wheel is too far away and does not adjust for reach, and if you’re tall you may find the trailing edge of the windscreen interfering with your line of sight. I also found the seats worryingly uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, I warmed to the C+C. Like the best Porsches, it has an absolutely clear view of who is going to buy it and is tailored to their needs and aspirations. I’d much rather drive a Mini but the glass roof and big boot lend the Micra an element of real-world practicality no other contender can match, Mini included.

Now I’ve told you what the car does, I’ll tell you if I like its looks. The answer is no, not much. But if you could see how unfashionably I’m dressed you’d probably take that as a recommendation.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model Nissan Micra C+C Sport
Engine type 1598cc, four cylinders in line
Power/Torque 108bhp @ 6000rpm / 113 lb ft @ 4400rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual
Fuel/CO2 42.2mpg (combined cycle) / 160g/km
Performance 0-62mph: 10.6sec / Top speed: 119mph
Price £13,995
Verdict The most practical small convertible of all
Rating 3/5

THE OPPOSITION

Model Mini One Convertible £13,595
For A fashion icon, great interior, quite fun to drive
Against Fabric roof, limited performance, getting clichéd

Model Peugeot 206CC 1.6 Sport £13,995
For Still looks great, folding steel roof
Against Now old and largely outclassed, silly rear seats

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