There is a breed of car, rare but not yet endangered, that leaves such an impression that its image is able to eclipse that of its rather more humdrum manufacturer. See how much less boring Mitsubishi becomes with the word “Evolution” or how Ford starts to sound glamorous when followed by “GT”.

You may not think that anything based on a Corsa and costing less than £14,000 could pull off this decidedly neat trick, but I suspect this new Tigra will be a considerable success — in spite of being, rather than because it’s, a Vauxhall.

Then again, perhaps we should not be surprised. Vauxhall appears finally to have grasped that the customer can no longer always be suckered into buying slickly marketed mediocrity.

Of course you can sell any old tat if you offer sufficient incentives, but your customers will remember the car long after they’ve forgotten what they paid for it, and that’s before they’ve been clobbered by the kamikaze depreciation that always accompanies such a strategy. The warmly received new Astra and fiery VXR range suggested a new era of enlightenment was dawning at Vauxhall, and the Tigra rather confirms it.

Crucially, the Tigra comes with an electric folding metal roof and does not attempt to offer rear seats, like those of its nearest rival, the Peugeot 206CC, which are so small as to be a joke. And, with a range starting at £13,750, the Tigra undercuts the cheapest Peugeot by more than £1,000. Its other great opponent, the Mini Convertible, can be yours for £13,325 but its roof is made from fabric, not steel, and can’t offer the same refinement and security.

Two engines are available in the Tigra, a 89bhp 1.4 litre and a 123bhp 1.8, the latter available only in slightly ritzier Sport specification (a £750 option for the 1.4) while air-conditioning costs £500, whatever you buy.

The 1.8 is just £750 more than the 1.4 Sport, which, given that its 0-60mph time of 9sec is three whole seconds quicker than the 1.4 and its top speed is 126mph compared with 112mph, might seem like a cracking bargain. In fact, it’s not.

I don’t have an easy explanation for this but the 1.4 I drove felt scarcely slower than the 1.8, while the smaller engine is discernibly sweeter to use. It also seems unlikely that the typical buyer is going to be as concerned by outright performance as he (or, more likely, she) will be by the fact that the 1.4 litre Tigra is less thirsty by almost 10mpg.

Nor will those buying their Tigra with company money miss the fact that the cheapest 1.4 will cost nearly £50 per month less in tax to run than the 1.8.

Yet despite its attractive looks and price I looked forward to driving the Tigra in much the same way as I do putting on my socks — boring but it’s got to be done. I can still remember the original, 1994 Tigra. That, too, looked cute and was also based on the then current Corsa. And driving it was about as interesting as watching grass grow.

A decade on it’s hardly thrilling but Vauxhall has done a lot of work to give this generation of Tigra a feel of its own. In particular its suspension has been lowered front and rear and the wheels pushed further out to widen the track.

The result is pleasingly capable. The Tigra feels commendably taut, even over rough roads with the roof down, and what little shake there is disappears once the roof is raised — in 18 seconds — and the full structural rigidity is restored. It grips hard and steers well without ever quite indulging the driver to the same extent as the Mini. Clearly, you can only do so much with a modified Corsa.

In fact the only real disappointment is its cabin. You sit perched high in the Tigra, while in a purpose-built sportster — such as the Mazda MX-5 — you sit deep in the car and close to the road. In short the Tigra has a hatchback’s driving position.

More disappointing still is the hatchback design of the interior. The odd fillet of plastic pretending to be metal cannot disguise the drabness of the instruments, controls and most materials. In the age of the Mini, where every dial and switch has a unique character, it’s not good enough.

Happily the rest of the car is, and thanks to class-leading luggage space and that smart roof it’s a perfectly practical everyday proposition for singles, unmarried couples and retirees alike.

The question is not whether you should have it over the 206CC — good car though the Peugeot was in its day, it’s time is past. The Mini presents a more difficult dilemma. It has useable rear seats, the handling is more fun and the cabin a bit special. That said, I much prefer the fresh lines of the Tigra to the uncomfortably derivative style of the Mini and, over a three-year tenure, I think I’d give thanks for that solid roof more often than I cursed its absent rear seats.

In the end I’d go for the Tigra. Ultimately it depends what’s more important to you: the badge on the nose or the car behind it. If it’s the former, get a Mini — it’s a fine car and you’ll not regret it. However, if you want the best small convertible that you can currently buy for less than 14 grand, take a deep breath, hold your nose and buy a Vauxhall.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model: Vauxhall Tigra 1.4
Price: £13,750
Engine type: Four-cylinder, 1364cc
Power/Torque: 89bhp @ 5600rpm / 92 lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Suspension: (front) MacPherson strut, anti-roll bar (rear) torsion beam rear axle, anti-roll bar
Performance 0-60mph: 12.0sec / top speed 112mph
Verdict: Better than you'd imagine anything Corsa-based could be

THE OPPOSITION

Model: Peugeot 206CC, £14,920
For: Good-looking, folding steel roof, engaging handling
Against: Silly rear seats, very limited luggage space, expensive

Model: Mini One Convertible, £13,325
For: Sky-high image, excellent handling, very well built
Against: Fabric roof only, characterless engine