A surprising yet thirsty little mill
Much like the cars it is derived from, the Volvo C70 relies on a lovely 2.5-liter, 5-cylinder engine instead of a V6 or V8. With 227 horsepower and a valiant turbo, drivers can expect good performances.
Accelerations from 0 to 100 km/h are completed in 7.3 seconds and, with 236 lb-ft of torque available, passing maneuvers can be undertaken with confidence. However, there's a price to pay -- I'm talking here about fuel consumption. My tester averaged 14 liters per 100 kilometers, which is too much in my opinion.
The other technical components of the C70 live up to the Swedish automaker's reputation. The suspension proves extremely compliant on any type of road; you almost feel like you're floating on clouds. On the other hand, this is not a sporty car. Shift throws are longish and a firmer ride would have been a great plus in terms of driving dynamics.
As a race car driver, I also felt that the steering lacked firmness and precision. The significant torque steer under acceleration considerably affects the driving experience. Handling is superb, though -- at least from a convertible standpoint. The rigid chassis effectively assists the suspension while ensuring stability levels on par with rivals.
The brakes are quite competent in normal driving conditions, but don't even think about bringing this car to the track. I would also like to mention that engineers did a spectacular job with the retractable three-piece hard top.
Competition
With the C70, Volvo dove into a market segment where competitors are solidly established and historically renowned. In addition to the domestic rival from Saab, the newly-updated 9-3 Convertible ($54,390), competition comes from the BMW 328i Cabriolet ($56,600), the Audi A4 2.0T Cabriolet ($55,350) and finally the much pricier Mercedes-Benz CLK350 ($77,000). Please note that the BMW also offers a power hard top, not to mention Infiniti with the soon-to-be-introduced, Japan-exclusive G37 Convertible.
Conclusion
The 2008 Volvo C70 is an all-season convertible that's very much pleasant to live with on a daily basis. It puts a lot of sun in the life of commuters and vacationers alike. While the long-term reliability of the retractable top is still unknown, the C70 remains a cleverly-designed, commendably-built automobile.
photo:Bertrand Godin
Much like the cars it is derived from, the Volvo C70 relies on a lovely 2.5-liter, 5-cylinder engine instead of a V6 or V8. With 227 horsepower and a valiant turbo, drivers can expect good performances.
Accelerations from 0 to 100 km/h are completed in 7.3 seconds and, with 236 lb-ft of torque available, passing maneuvers can be undertaken with confidence. However, there's a price to pay -- I'm talking here about fuel consumption. My tester averaged 14 liters per 100 kilometers, which is too much in my opinion.
 |
| The Volvo C70 relies on a lovely 2.5-liter of 5-cylinder engine developping 227 horsepower. |
The other technical components of the C70 live up to the Swedish automaker's reputation. The suspension proves extremely compliant on any type of road; you almost feel like you're floating on clouds. On the other hand, this is not a sporty car. Shift throws are longish and a firmer ride would have been a great plus in terms of driving dynamics.
As a race car driver, I also felt that the steering lacked firmness and precision. The significant torque steer under acceleration considerably affects the driving experience. Handling is superb, though -- at least from a convertible standpoint. The rigid chassis effectively assists the suspension while ensuring stability levels on par with rivals.
The brakes are quite competent in normal driving conditions, but don't even think about bringing this car to the track. I would also like to mention that engineers did a spectacular job with the retractable three-piece hard top.
Competition
With the C70, Volvo dove into a market segment where competitors are solidly established and historically renowned. In addition to the domestic rival from Saab, the newly-updated 9-3 Convertible ($54,390), competition comes from the BMW 328i Cabriolet ($56,600), the Audi A4 2.0T Cabriolet ($55,350) and finally the much pricier Mercedes-Benz CLK350 ($77,000). Please note that the BMW also offers a power hard top, not to mention Infiniti with the soon-to-be-introduced, Japan-exclusive G37 Convertible.
Conclusion
The 2008 Volvo C70 is an all-season convertible that's very much pleasant to live with on a daily basis. It puts a lot of sun in the life of commuters and vacationers alike. While the long-term reliability of the retractable top is still unknown, the C70 remains a cleverly-designed, commendably-built automobile.
 |
| The 2008 Volvo C70 is an all-season convertible that's very much pleasant to live with on a daily basis. |
photo:Bertrand Godin
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