Volvo C70   Women's view

Practical and Convertible Arent Normally Two Words That Go Together. Except When It Comes To Volvos Latest C70. June Neary Checks It Out

This Volvo is beautiful, luxurious and has all its assets in the right places which means that it doesnt have much in common with me. Having, said that, when you take the C70 out on the road, everyone turns and looks, but theyre looking at the car, not the driver. So, yes, I reckon itd suit me. Its a true four-seater and comes without any of the hassles that most convertible owners so often endure.

For a start, its not immediately obvious that it is even a convertible. The flowing lines would fool most observers into thinking its a coupe. Only when you flip the lid down will this C70s secret be revealed. Whereas most coupe-convertible models look a little ungainly in their proportioning, Volvos clever three-piece folding roof means that the boot doesnt have to be quite so long and therefore, the C70s silhouette is that much more elegant.

Practicality isnt normally a convertible strong point but the C70 isnt too bad in this regard. With the roof up theres a decently-sized boot but youll need to remember that the cassette into which the hood folds eats up quite a bit of boot space, so dont load it to capacity and then wonder why you cant drop the roof. Rear seat space is better than you might expect and the front seats have an electrically-operated slide to ease access to and from the back. There are also quite a few handy cubbies around the cabin with twin cupholders front and rear as well as big door bins that lock on the central locking, allowing you to leave the car with the hood folded down.

The latest models also feature a multi-function storage area between the front seats and a more compact handbrake design. One drawback about the folding hard top is that you cant get luggage out when the hood is folded down. In order to grab a bag out of the boot, youll need to raise the roof, extract your luggage and then drop the top back down again. You also need to be at a dead stop with your foot on the brake to do this some cars allow for the hood to be operated at speeds of up to 15mph.



Its no great secret that the C70 is based on the Ford Focus chassis which means that its a cracking drive. There is a small degree of body flex when youre at the wheel but the handling and steering are a cut above what youd expect from this sort of car and when coupled with the rorty turbocharged T5 producing 220bhp and torque of 320Nm, the C70 is a bit of an animal. The lions share of sales are apportioned to the rather more sedate 170bhp 2.4-litre.

Joining these two in-line five-cylinder engines is a 180bhp diesel which may well be the pick of the bunch. Adding to the safety of the car is a torsionally rigid body. Improving the driving experience is another benefit of a stiff chassis and the C70 is stiffer than its predecessor by between 10 and 15 per cent. "A torsionally rigid body was an important criteria for the new C70s driving behaviour," says Volvo C70 project manager Patrik Widerstrand. "It makes the car more stable, easier to control and therefore, safer but also makes the C70 more dynamic and fun to drive." Its easy to find a decent seating position with the multi-adjustable steering wheel and seat and its not too windy at speed in the front at least. The floating-dash design of the fascia is a very neat piece of styling that will draw comment from your passengers.

The model I tested the £26,500 2.4 Sport seemed good value for money but I had to constantly remind myself that Volvo had loaded the car with optional extras that would otherwise have bumped its list price up to over £28,000. Still, thats not a huge amount for such a practical, comfortable and stylish car. The T5 model opens at £29,775 for the SE with the SE Lux retailing at £33,170, so youve really got to want that extra 50bhp.

Standard equipment is generous, with plenty of buttons to press and a decent quality stereo as standard. Residual values are also expected to be strong so youll get a good proportion of your initial outlay back when the time comes to sell.

Give me the money to spend on a C70 and Ill certainly live with it. This car really does seem to have everything I want, as well as everything I need.