Torn between a soft-top and a CC? Opel understands your dilemma, and will try to appeal to both parties with the unveiling of its Tigra Twin Top “Illusion” model
You have to wonder just how more niche the car market can get when you see something like the Opel Tigra Twin Top “Illusion” emerges. According to Opel, there is a segment of the market that consider hard-top convertibles as stylistically inferior to their canvas-roofed brethren…an unusual finding, but apparently what the people want, the people get.
The “Illusion” model sees the Tigra Twin Top’s electro-hydraulically retractable steel roof clad in “Bordeaux red” canvas in a bid to give the two-seater cabrio all the benefits of a hard top that can be dropped in 18 seconds at the push of a button with the retro charm of a fabric roof (minus the cracked plastic rear window and cuticle-removing tonneau cover)…although we’re not sure if the application of a classic-look canvas to the roof sits well with the Tigra’s modern lines.
Specification for the “Illusion” model is generous: leather trim, air conditioning, heated seats, an MP3-compatible CD sound system, aluminium sports pedals and colour co-ordinated mats and seatbelts are among the standard interior features, while the exterior receives a two-layer metallic/pearlescent finish and a natty set of 17-inch bi-colour alloy wheels.
Two powerplants will be available for the “Illusion” – a 1,4-litre unit that develops 66 kW and a 1,8-litre that churns out 92 kW. Both versions send their power to the front wheels courtesy of a five-speed manual transmission.
The Tigra TwinTop “Illusion” will make an appearance at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, but there are currently no plans for a local release.
