2007 Volvo C70 Convertible Review

Roadtest: Volvo C70
By Andrew Frankl

European Bureau Chief

Let me start with a disclaimer. I drive an awful lot of cars but own only one and it is a Volvo. An S70 to be precise which resides in England and has given us a great deal of pleasure over the years. Consequently I am somewhat biased . However, I will do my best to leave the bias behind and describe the new C70 for what it is.

Namely, a very clever piece of niche marketing. A 4 seater (we are not talking 4 huge guys by the way) with the added bonus of a retractable hard top.

Volvo were anxious to show off the versatility of the hardtop/convertible combination by taking us to Hana, a corner of Maui where it rains every

day. Not any old rain, buckets of the stuff and mostly without any warning. One minute brilliant sunshine, next minute you are reaching for the button to erect the hardtop. Slight problem- to raise the roof takes 30 seconds. In places such as Hana or anywhere where there are sudden downpours you will be soaked well before the roof is up.

To show us that the cars were fine under all conditions the test route for the first 71.9 miles took just under 3 hours. Yes folks, you read it right. It was 20 miles per hour most of the time with lots of waiting for oncoming traffic at narrow bridges. There were 600 corners in all so we had plenty of opportunities to miss Chrysler Sebring rentals and local pick-up trucks. When Volvo’s James Hope warned us to beware we were all a little bit skeptical but he was absolutely right- the locals drive like total maniacs, it was a miracle that we got back without a scrape. Special thanks to the C70’s anti-lock brakes and DSTC (dynamic stability and Traction Control System). Both are standard on the car and were much appreciated on Hana’s twisty and wet roads.

The interior is very similar to that of the S40- perfectly functional without being spectacular. Even though I was wearing Maui Jim sunglasses-made just a few miles from the route I could not read the smaller instruments, a common mistake among auto makers. We tried both transmissions and came away preferring the automatic version. Volvo seem to agree, they expect 80% of the sales with the auto boxes. Even though they insist that 50% of the C70s will be bought by men, I doubt it. If ever

there was a car for budding actresses in Hollywood this has to be it. Firstly the car with the top up looks like any other Volvo, namely pretty unexciting. For me of course that is the secret of my Volvo, perfectly functional without being flashy. Consequently it will not be at the top of every car thief’s list.

Secondly it does of course have Volvo’s legendary safety so in the likely event of a crash with the paparazzi the chances are the photographers will come off worse.

Thirdly, once the top is off and you are ready to cruise to Bristol Farm or Whole Foods to get some green tea the whole world will be able to stop and stare.

Fourthly, shopping done, you pull into that huge car park behind the restaurants on Sunset, press the button and hey presto it will be just another boring Volvo between the Mercs and BMWs. A classic tale of Jekyll and Hyde…

To talk of thing mechanical the C70 has a T5 218 horse power engine driving the front wheels. Under hard acceleration it is possible to get some torque steer but nothing dramatic. The 6 speed manual gearbox is fine but as I’ve mentioned it is likely to remain a minority interest. The three piece hard top is, as you would expect, beautifully made, sturdy and fits perfectly. Once it folds and disappears into the trunk it does not leave a great deal of room for the groceries but you can’t have it all ways. Under the circumstances it offers a reasonable compromise.

Volvo made a big song and dance about the high performance stereo system. I can’t quite see the logic of it because with the roof down it is hard to hear any music without the volume turned sky high and irritating the living daylights out of people in adjacent cars at the traffic lights.

The price is approximately 38 thousand dollars depending on the number of extras and your skill at haggling. There is no need for the climate package in Orange County or in Miami and if you know where you are going then 2000 dollars for the navigational system also seems like an unnecessary extra.

Deliveries will start around April and the company already has over 1000 orders. Apparently the factory is on single shift at present so there is scope for a second should orders escalate rapidly. That, to some extent depends on how quickly the C70 becomes a “must have” fashion accessory in Orange County and on South Beach.

If it acquires that status, a bit like an iPod or a Motorola cell phone then Volvo will be laughing all the way to the bank.

The C70 is not a giant leap forward in terms of automobile technology, Volvo aren’t pretending that it is. On the other hand at around 40 thousand dollars it offers safety and originality and costs less than its German rivals. Just watch the weather forecast because if you’ve just got your hair done for a small fortune you will not be a happy puppy to see it ruined during those critical 30 seconds!