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Volvo C70 Review & Road Test

Review by www.new-car-reviews.co.uk

In a dramatic departure from its traditional box like designs, the C70 represents one of the earliest manifestations of Volvo's bold new strategy - namely that safe doesnt have to be boring. The C70 is based on the same platform as the V70 estate and is now only available in cabriolet form (the coupe was dropped from the range in late 2002).

In this highly image conscious market, also comprised of the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes CLK cabriolets, the C70 manages to more than hold its own and cuts a dash either with the hood up or down.

Ride and handling, excellent when the car was launched in 1999, are now a little behind the pace and in particular the C70 suffers from considerable scuttle shake over uneven road surfaces - to the extent that even Volvo's engineering prowess is unable to prevent the interior of the car rattling around. However the cabin is finished to the high standard yo would expect from Volvo and all controls are logically arranged and easy to operate.

The base model is fitted with a 2.0 litre turbocharged unit that manages 124 mph and 0-60 in 9.9 seconds. At the top end of the range, the T5 has a 2.3 litre turbo-charged unit that manages 145 mph and 0-60 in 7.5 seconds. In T5 form the car also struggles with the amount of power delivered by the turbo charged engine and you may find yourself losing grip on fast twisty roads especially in the wet.

On the positive side, the Volvo does represent a more practical motoring package than many of its competitors. Four average sized adults can be comfortably accommodated over longer journeys and the boot is a reasonable size for a convertible - although the rear seats cannot be folded to cater for longer loads. The C70 also provides a reasonably hushed cabin at motorway cruising speeds, engine and road noise are absent with only wind noise evident around the roof line.

Specification levels are also better than most of the competition, alloy whees, leather trim, side airbags, deadlocks, dual zone temparature controls etc.

Overall the Volvo C70 represents a stylish convertible cruiser rather than a convertible sports car - but then it probably is destined to spend most of its time crusing around town or on long motorway treks.

Review ©2009 New-car-reviews.co.uk

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