PEUGEOT raised the game with its latest 108, making the city car experience altogether more enjoyable.

And in the fun front line is the TOP! Cabrio bodystyle which features an electric sliding roof, a rare option on a car of this size, and one which has great appeal to wind-in-the-hair fans.

At £12,495, the 108 Allure 1.2 TOP! Is part of the brand's offensive to move upmarket with a rewarding and outgoing spirit.

This model is a powerful magnet for the young and young-at-heart who wish to add zest to their everyday driving.

And that zest is not expensive to enjoy with a combined mpg figure of 65.7 courtesy of a 1,199cc three-cylinder petrol engine which can also whisk the car along to a maximum speed of 106mph.

The new 1.2 is part of a small petrol-engine renaissance that is sweeping across Europe and proves that diesel most certainly does not have it all its own way in French cars.

The five-door driven here is part of a range which embodies a high element of personalisation with a huge range of colours, ambiances themes and trims.

The range is a technical small-car tour-de-force, bringing in some highly desirable features to the city car sector.

These include a seven-inch touch-screen infotainment system with DAB digital radio, Mirror Screen and Bluetooth connectivity for smartphones and the added safety of steering wheel mounted controls.

Until recently such items were only found on saloons and hatches costing considerably more and the car as tested is an object lesson in bringing the comforts of a larger car into a city vehicle with just 99g/km carbon emissions.

The engine, which is linked to a five-speed manual transmission gives much of the zest of an old 1.6 petrol despite being a cylinder less.

One the road there is certainly no shortage of power, but on steeper hills you do have to use the gearbox to get the best out of the car.

Special mention goes to the touch screen which is highly sophisticated for a car of this type.

On the Allure model, it also features a very useful reversing camera.

Other features include twin front, side and curtain airbags, ESP stability control, hill holder, electronic parking brake and LED daytime running lights.