Budget Rent-A-Car, one of Australia’s largest car rental companies, has purchased 20 Peugeot 306 Cabriolets;-now available at its Sydney Airport, Cairns and Surfers Paradise outlets.

Available for just $99 per day, the Cabriolet fleet is a mix of Diablo Red and China Blue, some with colour-matched roofs.

The stylish Peugeots have come into service just in time for summer, according to Greg Scally, Budget Rent-A-Car’s national marketing manager, who said Budget chose the 306 Cabriolet because of its natural appeal to holiday makers.

"Budget has identified a niche market for prestige convertibles and the 306 Cabriolets have been especially popular with Sydney customers looking for a weekend indulgence," he said.

The compact 306 Cabriolet combines stylish luxury with full, four-seat practicality and already the car has captured a 75 percent take-up, well above the 60 percent rate usually returned by the company’s specialty vehicles.

This popularity mirrors the 306 Cabriolet’s broader market acceptance, with close to 1,400 examples registered since irs local introduction in 1994.

Shane Priest, managing director of Peugeot Concessionaires Australia, said; "The 306 Cabriolet’s clean, Pininfarina design, high equipment levels and four seat capacity have made it a popular choice with Australian convertible buyers".

Twist a pair of release handles.on the roof’s leading edge, press a console-mounted button and the 306 Cabriolet’s electro-hydraulically operated roof will automatically fold away below a flush-fitting, body-coloured cover in just under 20 seconds.

At $51,500 for the five speed manual and $53,700 for the four-speed automatic the four-seater Cabriolet is powered by a l00kW, 2.0-litre, double ohc,16-valve engine and features electric windows, air-conditioning, remote central locking, six-speaker CD sound system, ABS anti-lock brakes and Cyclone 15" alloy wheels

Recent model upgrades included the addition of double parabola main headlights and front passenger and side airbags, joining the already standard driver’s side airbag.