European design with a drop-top option.

Introduction

Volvo's C70 Coupe and C70 Convertible have sexy enough curves to make you forget that you're driving a car built by a company best known for crashing its vehicles into walls. Most people know that Volvo spends a lot of time and money building safe vehicles. What many people don't know is that models like the C70 represent just how cool Volvos have become. How cool? The C70 models are packed full of high-horsepower engines, beautifully crafted interiors, and a driving experience that we find very rewarding. 

Plus, the C70 is available in a convertible body style. Now you can embrace all of Volvo's goodness with the wind blowing in your hair. Add to the fun of drop-top driving with the C70's taut suspensions and crisp steering and you've got a very pleasant combination, indeed. 

Lineup

Both coupe and convertible body styles are offered. Two versions of the transverse-mounted, turbocharged, all-aluminum inline five-cylinder engine are available. The Convertible comes with the standard 2.4-liter Low Pressure Turbo (LPT), which puts out 190 horsepower through a five-speed automatic transmission. The Coupe gets a 236-horsepower 2.3-liter High Pressure Turbo (HPT) with a five-speed manual; an automatic transmission is a $1,000 option. The more powerful engine and manual transmission are also optional with the Convertible. 

Retail prices: Convertible LPT ($43,500); Convertible HPT ($45,500); Coupe HPT ($34,500). 

Walkaround

The designers of the C70 Convertible did a good job of marrying Volvo's highly respected heritage with a graceful, but sporty look. From the front, the grille retains its trademark diagonal badge, while sleek headlamps remind drivers that this is a muscular piece of mechanical art. The raked windshield and sports-car styling stand out the most when viewed in profile. The sheet metal on the two-door C70 widens over the wheels and narrows again between the tires, like a Coke bottle when viewed overhead. The lines tuck in at the base of the windows. The result is a car that looks like it's in shape, with a tight waist and strong shoulders. 

Whether it's Coupe or Convertible, the Volvo C70 is a beautiful car. 

Volvo's designers also got the details right: Headlamp washers are tucked discretely above a slightly protruding bumper that is punctuated by serious-looking air vents. When the fully automatic soft-top is raised, it slopes gracefully to its slightly tapered rear. Lowered, the top tucks out of the way to preserve uncluttered lines. The Convertible rides on 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/50-16 all-season tires. Our C70 came with the optional traction control. 

Interior

Volvo's graceful design can also be seen inside. Sliding into the generous, well-tailored interior reveals elegant lines and leather upholstery in light hues. Volvo is designing some great interiors these days. The bucket seats are well-contoured, comfortable and supportive, with eight-way power adjustments. There is ample leg, shoulder and hip room in both the front and rear, though taller drivers may complain of limited headroom. As expected for a convertible based on a coupe, getting into the rear seats is a squeeze for larger folks. 

At the instrument cluster, black numerals on handsome light gray gauges are easy to read and reverse at night to white on black. An optional stereo is a 400-watt, 12-speaker system with an in-dash three-CD changer. This arrangement seems like a perfect compromise between single-disc in-dash units and larger CD magazines that are often inconveniently located and fussy to load. The Dolby Pro-Logic system senses whether the top is up or down and adjusts volume accordingly. Our test car came equipped with this higher-end system. Complemented by Volvo's quiet engine, we came to view the C70 as a veritable concert hall on wheels. 

Standard equipment includes remote keyless entry, cruise control, air conditioning, a trip computer, a tilt-telescope steering column, heated power outside mirrors, and power windows and door locks. HomeLink is an integrated remote-control system that can be programmed to open garage doors and turn on house lights. 

True to the Volvo reputation, safety is paramount. Rollover hoops, which normally are folded down behind the standard head restraints in the back seat, activate automatically if the car flips over. Volvo's Side Impact Protection System airbag offers head, shoulder, and torso protection. C70s also feature Volvo's Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which helps protect front-seat occupants in the event of a rear impact. 

While we enjoyed the ability to drop the top, it does cut into the cargo capacity. The Convertible offers just 8 cubic feet of trunk space, while the Coupe provides slightly more than 13 cubic feet. 

Driving Impression

We drove the C70 Convertible in Arizona with unseasonably crisp temperatures in the lowlands and snow flurries in the mountains. With the heated seats and climate controls dialed to their highest settings, we headed out of Phoenix with the top down and enjoyed a big-sky view of the Arizona scenery. While cold air blew over our heads, we were warm and comfortable in the open cockpit, basking in Surround Sound, which sounded great even at high speeds. The cabin's air management is noteworthy. Even in light snow, we were able to keep the top down with only the slightest intrusion of moisture. When it began to snow more heavily, we pulled to the side of the road, set the parking brake and pushed the button to put the top up. A half-minute later, it was safely anchored to the reinforced window frame and we were back on the road. 

We also enjoyed the silky smooth turbocharged engine with its broad power band. The Convertible's turbocharged 190 horsepower works alongside nearly 200 foot-pounds of torque from just 1800 rpm, maintaining that output all the way to 5000 rpm, which results in robust throttle response at any engine speed. Punch it, and the Convertible accelerates quickly and smoothly, with no time spent waiting for the turbo to spool. Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph takes less than 8 seconds and the car boasts a top speed of 130 mph. We found the automatic transmission to be responsive, shifting down quickly to the appropriate gear with the precision you would expect in finely engineered machinery. The brakes, too, are built to match the C70's potential for speed: They provide good pedal feel and did not fade while descending steep grades. 

The suspension serves up sharp handling response. This car has that feel of a fine European sports sedan; it gives up little to a BMW. The driver immediately feels connected to the car and to the road, which instills confidence in corners. Our faith grew with the optional traction control system on our test car, which kept the wheels from spinning in the snow in the mountains above Sedona. 

Summary

Volvo has once again returned to the open-top car market after a long hiatus. Its first car, built in 1927, was a convertible. 

While Volvo has maintained its reputation for safety, it is clearly abandoning its traditionally stodgy, boxy look in favor of a fresher image in an effort to attract new buyers. More than any other model in its lineup, the sporty and free-spirited C70 Convertible represents the winds of change blowing through the company. 

Model Lineup

Convertible LPT ($43,500); Convertible HPT ($45,500); Coupe HPT ($34,500). 

Assembled In

Uddevalla, Sweden. 

Options As Tested

Cold Weather Package (included heated front seats and STC stability and traction control ($650); Dolby Pro Logic 12-speaker audio system with 3-CD changer ($1,200).