Volvo C70 Rocks the ‘Wow’ Factor

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Volvo C70 Rocks the 'Wow' Factor
All photos courtesy Volvo

A Volvo with “wow” factor and, dare I say it, sex appeal?
One does not normally associate the three-letter expression of excitement and surprise with a Volvo vehicle but the C70 hardtop convertible coupe is changing all that.

Re-introduced a few years back and refreshed last year, the latest C70 is built on a smaller platform than its predecessor, sharing the global Ford/Mazda/Volvo small car underpinnings found in the Mazda3, European Focus and Volvo S40 and V50. This is my favorite compact platform and I enjoy the smooth, sporty driving experience it offers.
This same experience carries over to the new C70 and now you can have the added benefit of a convertible model while still riding on a foundation of solid support.

Volvo C70 Rocks the 'Wow' Factor

Engineers chose to utilize a power folding hardtop design for the Volvo allowing the vehicle to exhibit coupe-like qualities with the top in place (more wow). In about 30 seconds the top neatly folds into a storage space in the trunk compartment. Yes, this does eat into cargo capacity but a movable divider will allow the use of the additional space when the top is up. Owners get the best of both worlds here.

Under the hood of the C70 is Volvo’s turbocharged inline five-cylinder T5 powerplant backed by their smooth Geartronic five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. Power in the C70 is rated at 227 horses and 236 lb. ft. of torque driving the front wheels.

Volvo C70 Rocks the 'Wow' Factor

The C70 rides (standard) on 17-inch alloy wheels shod with V-rated all-season tires and in pure Volvo tradition comes standard with such safety features as dynamic stability traction control, rollover protection system with pop-up rear roll bars, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist and a full assortment of airbags including door-mounted inflatable curtain side impact units.

Safety and security for items stored in the C70 was also priority for designers with self-closing and lockable storage bins at all four seating positions. And speaking of seating positions, consideration was given to the amount of space allocated to rear occupants. The new Volvo C70 affords some of the best rear seat space in a convertible on the market today (again, wow) and offers power slide function of the front seats for easier ins and outs by rear passengers.

Volvo C70 Rocks the 'Wow' Factor

Volvo has come up with a new material for the seats that they call Haverdal Flextech, which is combined with leather seat inserts in the C70 for comfortable, luxurious and sturdy seating surfaces.
The center dash control panel is a slim design with storage space between it and the main body of the dash which my sweetie found very convenient to store her purse in.

The new C70 comes with all of the creature comforts one would expect in a European automobile but the one that truly stood out to me, an old audiophile-head, is the 910-watt audio system featuring Dynaudio speakers (big wow). This car rocks, both literally and figuratively.

Volvo C70 Rocks the 'Wow' Factor

Fuel economy was modest in the C70 at 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. Pricing begins at nearly 40 grand with our tester coming in at $45,850 thanks to multimedia, dynamic and climate package upgrades.
“Wow” again, but you figure out which way.

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About the Author

David Goodspeed
David was editor of AutoworldToday at Today Newspapers in the Dallas suburbs until its closing in 2009. He was also webmaster and photographer/videographer. He got started doing photography for the newspaper while working as a firefighter/paramedic in one of his towns, and began working for the newspaper group full-time in 1992. David entered automotive journalism in 1998 and became AutoworldToday editor in 2002. On the average, he drives some 100 new vehicles each year. He enjoys the great outdoors and as an avid fly fisherman, as is his spouse Tish. He especially enjoys nature photography and is inspired by the works of Ansel Adams.

2 Comments on "Volvo C70 Rocks the ‘Wow’ Factor"

  1. markntravis | June 2, 2010 at 8:59 pm |

    I would prefer photos you have taken. This just reads like a infomercial.

  2. David Goodspeed | June 3, 2010 at 7:14 am |

    Yeah, I wish I lived on the mediterranean coast myself. LOL I try to shoot most of my vehicles when conditions and time allows but most times schedule and mother nature show me I am not always in charge.

Comments are closed.