Bring It On
by Richard Yarrow (29 Mar 06)

I believe the saying is 'the early bird catches the worm.' I'm sure the big cheeses at Vauxhall will be hoping that's true with the new Astra cabrio, or TwinTop as it's officially being called. They're launching the car at the end of May, while the other two new kids on the block, the eagerly awaited Ford Focus Convertible and Volkswagen Eos, don't hit.

But the Luton team believes it may have another winning feature to complete the hat-trick. The Ford and VW both feature roofs that split into two large chunks, while the Vauxhall's top goes into three smaller ones. It means the car doesn't need a large flat section at the rear to hide the unwanted bits, and so the exterior styling works better visually. There's no aircraft carrier deck at the back of the TwinTop.

The 1.8-litre car isn't particularly sporty but is enjoyable enough on the road. Sprinting to 60mph takes 10.7 seconds and the top speed is 129mph. The steering is accurate and weighted nicely, the five-speed gearbox is smooth and easy to use, and enthusiastic drivers will find there's plenty of power at the upper end of the rev range. The ride isn't sports-car harsh either, and with a chassis that's 30% stiffer than that of the outgoing Astra convertible, there's none of the dreaded scuttle shake that affected cabrios of old.

Also in the range is a 200bhp turbocharged two-litre model which is quicker (8.3 seconds and 146mph) and has a six-speed box, but is also more expensive at £20,740 and six insurance groups higher. For me, the pick of the engines was the 1.9-litre 150bhp turbodiesel. It's a measure of how far these units have come; Vauxhall has never put one in a cabriolet before, and now

it has it's the best of the bunch. Most private buyers will opt for the petrol models, but with better C02 emissions than either of them, the oil-burner should find favour with fleet buyers. It's priced £19,995 and £20,695 in Sport and Design trim respectively.

Standard kit on all models includes twin front and side airbags, alarm, CD player, electric windows and door mirrors, plus air-con. Sport trim gets front fog lamps, trip computer, multi-function steering wheel and remote roof operation. The range-topping Design models features a sport-drive function that gives a more direct feeling to the steering and a sharper throttle response. In addition, there are automatic windscreen wipers, dimming rear view mirror and pop-up rollbars. Options include adaptive front headlamps.

The roof on all models works via a switch mounted above the rear view mirror. Push it for 26 seconds and the top is gone. It works at speeds of up to 18mph, so you don't actually have to pull over to open or close it.

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