Overview

Volvo has launched an all-new C70 for the 2006 model year. The previous-generation model was introduced in 1997.

The Volvo C70, a four-seater, is the first of more coupe/convertibles that will come from other manufacturers. The sleek steel top retracts into the trunk in 30 seconds. The C70 is based on the S40 sedan, but has a wider track and more luscious lines.

The engine, suspension and transmission are proven Volvo components, while the chassis has been fortified and re-figured to increase rigidity over the former C70, and meet Volvo's industry-leading safety standards.

We found the C70 to be an excellent highway cruiser, smooth and steady at high speeds, quiet with the steel top up. Its stereo sounds superb. The C70 feels like a sports car. It has a solid feel and strikes an appropriate balance of responsive handling with a smooth, well-controlled ride quality and fade-resistant brakes. We liked it best with the six-speed manual, but the five-speed automatic is crisp and responsive.

The styling is brilliant, with elegant coupe lines, and the retractable hardtop is an engineering masterpiece. The cabin features comfortable seats, the latest in Volvo interior styling and fabrics, and a clever cubby behind the center dash.

Everything works as it should, and it's a beautiful piece of work. Nothing else on the market offers what the C70 does, priced under $40,000.

Model Lineup

Here's a unique sentence: There is only one model, the coupe and the convertible. It's called simply the C70 ($38,710). The C changes its meaning with the weather. Coupertible? The retractable hardtop is standard, and the only choice.

Standard equipment includes the six-speed manual transmission. The five-speed automatic transmission is optional ($1250). Standard features include power front seats, leather steering wheel with controls, and a six-disc CD changer with eight speakers and four amplifiers.

Optional packages include leather interior with HomeLink ($1395), and a climate package with heated front seats, headlamp washers and rain-sensing wipers ($675). The Dynaudio sound system ($1550) features 14 speakers, five amplifiers and two subwoofer amplifiers blasting 910 watts via Dolby ProLogic II Surround Sound. Standalone options include high-intensity discharge headlamps ($700), navigation system ($2120), metallic paint ($475) and pearlescent white paint ($625). The 17-inch "Sadira" alloy wheels come standard, while 18-inch "Mirzam" alloy wheels are optional ($995).

Safety features include electronic stability control with traction control and anti-lock brakes with brake force distribution. In addition to the required front airbags, there are side airbags in front, and air curtains which activate upwards from the doors, even with the windows rolled down. The Rollover Protection System, a pop-up rollbar, is activated by a "pyrotechnic charge," which will smash the rollbars through the glass when the roof is on.

Walkaround

The designer of the new C70, American John Kinsey, spent four years on the project. Although Mercedes, Lexus and Cadillac use retractable steel tops for their two-seat sports cars, those designs were ignored because, says Kinsey, "The tops on those cars are so small that none of their mechanical aspects even apply to the challenges we had in designing ours."

Everything revolves around the roof, developed in Italy by Pininfarina, under Kinsey. It had to clearly be a coupe roofline, and it is the most handsome of coupes, with a solid upward sweeping A-pillar and delicately thin and downward sweeping C-pillar. Stand close enough, and you can spot the two seams that enable the roof to stack into thirds and drop into the trunk, but otherwise there's not a hint of compromise in the graceful roofline.

The roof lands on the rear deck at a point higher than it takes off from the hood, because of the rear wedge and elevated rear sills for safety. A soft ridge at the beltline carries all the way from headlight to taillight, accentuating the wedge, which is conspicuous but not bulky; the C70 was not given a fat butt in order to fit the roof under its skirt.

The trunk (its lid is aluminum) contains 12.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the roof up, and 6 cubic feet when it's retracted: enough room for two sets of golf clubs, says Volvo. (The previous C70 only had 8.1 cubic feet.)

The taillights have been smoothed-over by quite a bit; the stepped outside line of the taillights is still traditionally Volvo, but the curves are much gentler.

The rest of the styling changes are subtle but striking. When viewed from the front three-quarter angle, it's clear how short and smooth the hood and nose are, and how aerodynamic the package. When you pay attention to the lines, the brilliant job by John Kinsey hits home. Five full inches have been removed from the nose, and the edges have been softened, resulting in a two-inch narrowing of the front shoulders, despite an increased overall width.