IF there's a set of wheels that's been especially created for today's "dedicated followers of fashion", then look no further than the Citroen DS3 Cabrio soft-top.

Sexy, sporty, sophisticated and superbly put together, this French fancy was geared up to take the already highly-successful DS range to an even higher level.

The Cabrio stayed faithful to the hatchback's already cracking good looks and retained its sibling's bold styling from the "shark fin" B-pillar to its sculped front end complete with LED light signatures.

However, designers added more quirky features to the Cabrio to make it stand out even further.

To the rear, unique 3-D LED light clusters were individual styled, making the car easily recognisable in the dark. The central part of the light was made up of no fewer than 31 LEDs and semi-reflecting mirrors which reduce in size, cleverly giving the impression the light is disappearing into infinity.

Up top came a fully-retractable, powered canvas roof which folds back from the top of the windscreen to the solid parcel shelf on top of the boot and could fully open or shut in 16 seconds. It could also be partly closed to any position in between by the push of a button. An added bonus is that this could be done while on the hoof at speeds of up to 75mph.

Though not a fully-fledged convertible, it does mean that the car's silhouette remains intact whatever the position of the roof.

To date, the great majority of DS3 tin-top buyers have opted for a two-tone paint finish and with this in mind, Citroen offered a choice of three canvas roof colours in blue, black and a brown on grey interwoven pattern complete with DS logo.

A range of body colours were available along with eight upholstery designs, so there should be plenty of choice for used car buyers to get a vehicle that's pretty much unique.

For if you add the seven alloy wheel designs, three engine choices and three distinct spec levels to the mix, then the number of individual permatations became virtually limitless.

Slightly heavier than the DS3 hatchback, the Cabrio remained a five-seater and while luggage space was cut by 40 litres to 245 litres, it still had the biggest boot in its class.

Under the bonnet was the choice of a trio of power plants, two petrol - including a 1.2-litre three-cylinder offering - and a 156bhp 1.6-litre diesel. My favourite was the 1.6-litre VTi 120bhp petrol engine, which in DStyle trim quickly became the model of choice here in the UK.

This engine suited the car well and provided more than enough pep to keep up with the flow even on more hilly roads.

Remarkably quiet for a cabrio, the DS rode the road well, the steering being precise and positive and with a ride verging on the firm side, was pretty smooth and certainly no way gittery.

With summer now not too far off and Brits continuing their love affair with open-toppers, the five-seater DS3 Cabrio certainly opens up even more possibilities for used car buyers who seek some wind-in-the-hair driving.

Expect to pay between £6,870 and £8,790 for a 2012, 62-plate 1.6-litre VTI DStyle model with around 30,000 miles on the clock, or between £7,870 and £9,795 for a 2013 63-plate model of similar spec.

Move on to a 2014 64-plate model and you'll have to fork out anything between £9,040 and £11,005.