One of the key points of the job of testing cars is that you have to start off with an open mind. However much you are looking forward - or not looking forward - to the next arrival, you shouldn't pay any attention to that early opinion in case it's contradicted by your actual experience. Despite all that, I was prepared to bet the house that I would loathe and detest the Micra C+C; and it's just as well that I didn't, because to my complete astonishment I found myself becoming quite fond of the thing.I think I'd been turned off most of all by the looks (yes, I know, call me prejudiced). When manufacturers decide to create small coupé-cabriolets they have two choices: either go down the Peugeot route of incorporating the shape of the base car in the new design, as with the 206 CC, or follow the Vauxhall example of using the same platform but creating an entirely new body round it, as with the Tigra.As those examples show, you can end up with a reasonably elegant car either way. Nissan, however, has retained the Micra hatchback's looks and produced a weirdo. During this test I overtook a 206 CC on a motorway, and I couldn't bring myself to imagine its owner wishing he had bought the Micra instead.From some angles the C+C looks to me like a deformed pickup. The rear has been extended compared with the hatchback, the bonnet line is very high, and both those features are caused by the need to contain the roof when it's folded down (a smooth operation, incidentally, achieved by the simple means of pressing a button and holding it for 22 seconds).The pickup analogy, not intended at first as a compliment, actually becomes more sensible here, because even with the roof down the luggage volume is 255 litres; with the roof up it expands to a very impressive 457 litres. The C+C's advantage as a load-carrier may be unexpected, but it's real.Interior space for the front passengers is more or less standard Micra, except that the heavily tilted windscreen demands a roofline nearly four inches lower than standard. The screen surround also extends very far back, to the extent that I occasionally bumped against it, and I have a nasty feeling that in a head-on shunt I would crack my forehead open before the airbags had a chance to protect me. This is only likely to affect drivers more than six feet tall, though.As for rear passengers, well, forget it. Nissan describes the car variously as a full four-seater and as a 2+2, and says that the back seat is suitable either for children or for adults going on short journeys.Humbug. I know two petite 14-year olds who would lose the circulation to their legs if they sat in there long enough to get to the other end of the street. This is a two-seater with an unnecessarily well-upholstered parcel shelf, and that's all there is to it.There are three trim levels for the C+C, and the £14,995 Essenza tested here is the best-equipped, ahead of the entry-level Urbis (£13,150) and the Sport (£13,995). As well as having the silliest name, the Essenza boasts automatic air-conditioning, heated part-leather seats and disconnectable ESP, none of which is available on lesser models.Like the Sport, the Essenza uses a 108bhp 1.6-litre engine which gives the C+C a more than acceptable turn of speed, though the performance is helped by low overall gearing which makes the car sound busy on motorways.Better still, the C+C is outstanding on country roads, way above the average for a small hatchback, and the beautiful dynamic balance is matched by very good ride quality. You can tell how much the roof is contributing to the car's structural stiffness by folding it away, but even in topless form the C+C remains enjoyable through the bends, occasional creaks and wobbles apart.The automatic process of stowing away the roof also involves winding down the windows, and if you leave them down there's inevitably a tremendous draft. Wind them up again and you'd almost think you were back in a closed car, albeit one with remarkable air circulation and an unusual amount of road noise. You never really get a sense of being at one with the countryside, though as safety regulations become ever tighter I imagine this feeling will quickly become a thing of the past in any case.Although it's obviously a Japanese car, the C+C is made exclusively at Nissan's factory in Sunderland, where German coachbuilder Karmann has established its own facility to fabricate the roof system. I can't help admiring Karmann's work, and Nissan itself has done a good job - the ridiculous looks and laughable attempts to describe the car as a four-seater are just about balanced by the admirable handling and generous luggage space. Overall, this is by no means my favourite car of the year so far, but it's certainly the one that has overturned my initial impressions to the greatest extent. Engine 1598cc, 4 cylinders Power 108bhp Fuel/CO2 42.2mpg / 160g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.0 seconds Top speed 119mph Price £14,995 Details correct at publication date
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