Volvo C70 Review

Volvo C70 Review

The all new Volvo C70 was introduced to the UK in the summer of 2006 and has proved so popular that we are now on the second generation C70 model.

Volvo bill the C70 as “an extraordinary sports coupe that can transform into a full convertible at the touch of a button”. A bold statement maybe, but the C70 is the first premium-brand four seat car with a steel retractable hard top roof. Effectively the C70 is two cars in one: a sports coupe which morphs into a convertible at the touch of a button.

The C70 is built at the Uddevalla factory in Sweden, which is a collaborative venture with Pinifarina, the legendary coach builder of Ferrari fame.

We chose to drive the Volvo T5 Sport, which has a current list price of £29,775.

How It Drove - Performance

There are three engine options available, starting with the 2.4i 170ps petrol with a quoted top speed of 137 mph (0- 60 in 8.5 seconds), then there is the 180ps diesel engine, the D5, which is capable of 140 mph and accelerates from 0-60 mph in 8.8 seconds. Then there is the range topping petrol 2521 cc T5 with 220ps, which will reach 150 mph and can accelerate from rest to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds. The T5 as it might suggest is a five cylinder petrol turbo, which produces 320 Nm worth of torque between 1500-4800 rpm.

We have already driven the Volvo S60 T5, so we though it prudent to try the C70 T5 to see how it compared.

Our car was fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox, which we found easy to use with a very light throw. There is the option of a five-speed (Geartronic) automatic gearbox which can be driven either as a conventional automatic or as a clutchless sequential manual.

Volvo C70