2006 Volvo C70 Combines Convertible With Coupe

By: Mike Thomas | Ford Communications Network

With the retractable hardtop up, the C70 is transformed into a coupe. For more on the Volvo C70, go to volvocars.us.

DEARBORN, July 20, 2005 -- Coupe or convertible? The all-new Volvo C70 offers both, thanks to its unique three-piece retractable hardtop. Volvo has released the first photos and details on the C70, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

The new C70 is about the same size as its predecessor, equally wide and a full four-seater. With the retractable hardtop down, the C70 lets in the sun as a true convertible. Putting the hardtop up creates a car with the styling of a coupe.

"We've succeeded in creating an attractive convertible which, at the mere touch of a button, converts into an equally elegant coupe. The customer gets two cars in one. Both with space for four adults," said Volvo Cars President and CEO Hans-Olov Olsson.

"Putting together harmonious lines both with and without a roof is no easy job," said Fedde Talsma, design manager for the all-new Volvo C70. "We decided to start with the bold shape of a sports coupe. When we were satisfied with the result, we made the necessary adjustments to create a convertible."

As with all Volvos, the C70 was designed with both style and safety in mind. The car has an advanced body structure and several solutions that make it unique among open-top cars. The lack of a fixed roof has been compensated for by reinforcements and sophisticated technology like a door-mounted Inflatable Curtain (IC) -- a new feature that is part of the enhanced protection system for side impacts.

Since the IC cannot be fitted in the roof like other Volvos, it is fitted in the door and inflates upwards when it is deployed.

Volvo's safety engineers have fine-tuned the IC to be extra stiff. As a result, the IC remains upright for a longer period of time to better protect the head in the event of a side impact. In addition, the curtain deflates slowly to help provide additional protection if the car rolls over. This is a unique solution in the automotive world.

The body structure, in a carefully designed network of beams, not only contributes to the car?s high safety standards, but also gives the body extremely high torsional (twisting) rigidity -- twice as high as that of the previous C70 model. With the roof up, torsional rigidity increases by a further 10 to 15 percent.

The first-generation C70 convertible had its best year in 2004 with more than 8,000 cars sold.

"A torsionally rigid body is important to the car's driving behavior," said C70 project manager Patrik Widerstrand. "It makes the car more stable and easier to control. It also makes the car more dynamic and fun to drive."

In the United States, the C70 will be powered by a 2.5-liter in-line five cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 218 hp and offers 236 lb.-ft. of torque. Elsewhere, the C70 will feature two normally aspirated 2.4-liter engines producing 170 hp and 140 hp and a turbocharged 2.5-litre T5 that delivers 220 hp.

Later on in 2006, a 2.4 litre, 5-cylinder diesel engine, producing 180 hp (132 kW), will be available.

The development and manufacture of the all-new Volvo C70 is the result of a joint venture with renowned Italian company Pininfarina. Like its predecessor, the car will be built in Uddevalla in Sweden.

"Pininfarina is an excellent partner with long experience of developing and building convertibles," said Olsson.

"Our all-new C70 is one of the first open-top cars in the premium segment with both a steel roof and space for four adults. We believe this is a highly sought-after combination. That's why we expect to more than double our sales compared with the first-generation C70," said Olsson.

The all-new Volvo C70 will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September, and sales will get under way in the first half of 2006.