This bright red, sporty looking Twin Top not only impressed me, but also changed my perceptions about Cabs forever. The test unit was the entry level Enjoy, which offers the driver just that, enjoyment and fun. My first surprise was with the boot that opens and closes automatically, and the second was the large interior that this two-seater presented.

Being quite tall, my head did not touch the ceiling and I did not feel as restricted as I did when driving other much more expensive two-seater CCs. It wasn't long before I had the Twin Top neatly folded behind me and was enjoying the freedom that only a Cab can offer. Another advantage was that my hair was not affected by wind as the design has excluded this possibility. So one can still spend two hours prepping your coiffe and not worry about it messing up with the roof down.

The Tigra Twin Top was unveiled to much acclaim last year at the Geneva Motor Show, and was voted Cabrio of 2004 by an independent jury panel of international motoring journos. Styled to impress, the Tigra package offers agile handling, driving comfort and a high degree of active safety. I was astounded by the way Tigra holds the road, with a solid feel and no sense of looseness at all.

The Tigra Enjoy is definitely not aimed at the performance seeking petrol head, but instead at the pink market who are looking for an affordable, fun, enjoyable drive that will attract attention and leave the occupants feeling special. This car is fit for a queen, if you know what I mean.

I was genuinely impressed with the Tigra, from the spaciousness and functionality of this two-seater to the handling and impressive drivability. The amount of research and development that went into this product is evident in the fact that in total the various Opel Tigra prototypes completed around 600 000 kilometres during this phase.

Tigra is available in two options, the 1.4 Enjoy and the 1.8 Sport model. There has been talk of a performance version with possibly an OPC motor, but that will have to be seen. The 66kW Enjoy sports the 1.4 Twinport-Ecotect engine and returns an extremely frugal consumption of 6.1l/100km. With a claimed top speed of 180 km/h and actual 0-100 acceleration of 14.2 seconds, the Tigra Enjoy is aimed at the price conscious buyer looking for a Cab under R200 K.

The pros of owning a Tigra far outweigh the few negatives, and apart from the lack of acceleration, low down torque makes the Tigra drivable at around 1000rpm in traffic jams. Once you're on the open road, the little 1400 motor more than makes up for its lack of poke, by holding a constant acceptable speed.

On the down side, the doors sound hollow on closing, the automatic boot seems slow in opening and closing and without a manual closing option, the boot won't close unless you keep the button depressed until it's closed.

A great concept at an even better price, watch the number of Tigras on South African roads grow.