First look: Bertone's newest coupe-convertible

EUROPEAN automotive design house Bertone has signalled the likelihood of a coupe-convertible version of Fiat’s all-new Grande Punto by revealing a sketch of just such a concept ahead of its world debut at Geneva next week.

Claimed to be the first B-segment model to feature a retractable hardtop roof and four "real" seats, the Bertone CC concept’s cabin layout is the product of "meticulously attentive volumetric and ergonomic studies geared to levels of comfort and roominess comparable only to a higher segment car".

According to Bertone, the concept’s sloping front, high waistline and snug, muscular tail represent an evolution of Bertone’s trademark designs: "the open sports car accessible to the young and to the public at large, nippy and manoeuvrable, with a strong personality".

The Bertone CC concept will appear in the metal at Geneva on February 28 and following strong sales of the cabrio version of the previous-generation is odds-on to reach production as a rival for popular mini-cabs like the Peugeot 206 CC and Nissan Micra CC.