Description Of The Car

New Cars 2006 Volvo C70 Reviews Specs

Just placed an order for a 2007. Im not concerned about the mechanism for dropping the top - Mercedes has been doing it for years so Im sure its just as good as MB. The head rest molds your head like youre on a roller coaster...very comforting! Im impressed with the body. Very solid and I feel safe. Good MPG for such a heavy car.


New for 2006

The all-new 2006 Volvo C70 features a power retractable three-section steel hardtop with a glass rear window that stows in the trunk to create a four-seat convertible. The C70 is powered by a 218-horsepower 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine with a light-pressure turbocharger that produces 236 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard and a 5-speed Geartronic automatic is optional.



Interior Design and Special Features

The Volvo C70 can transform from a coupe to a top-down convertible. When the retraction process is started, the three-piece roof folds backward and is stacked and stored inside the trunk -- the dual-hinged trunk opens and closes automatically for the roof panels. With the top lowered, the C70s trunk has a scant 6 cubic feet of volume left over for luggage or other items. A divider located inside the trunk allows one to assess how much can be loaded with the top down. Top up, the C70 can carry 12.8 cubic feet worth of gear. In the cabin, a new locking feature allows certain storage compartments to be locked with the key from the glove compartment when leaving the car with a parking attendant.

Safety

Antilock brakes, traction control and stability control are standard. Front occupants benefit from standard side airbags and special door-mounted, head-protecting side curtain airbags. Rollover bars mounted behind the seats automatically deploy to help ensure the safety of occupants in the case of a rollover accident.

Powertrains and Performance

For power, the C70 relies on a turbocharged, 2.5-liter, inline five-cylinder engine. It develops 218 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through a standard six-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic is optional.

Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options

The 2006 Volvo C70 is a two-door, four-passenger convertible. Only one trim level, T5, is currently offered. The C70 T5 comes standard with features like 17-inch wheels, keyless entry, heated outside mirrors, automatic dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, power front seats, a driver memory function and an in-dash CD changer. Three option packages are available to expand the C70s content. The Premium Package adds full leather seating, HomeLink and a compass while the Climate Package includes rain-sensing wipers, headlamp washers and heated front seats. Audiophiles will enjoy the optional Dynaudio Package; it equips the C70 with high-output amplifiers, 12 speakers and two subwoofers. Eighteen-inch wheels, bi-HID headlights and a navigation system are the C70s remaining stand-alone options.

Driving Impressions

In many ways, the Volvo C70 is a hybrid. No, not a gas-electric hybrid, but a blend of the power and handling of the S60 and smaller S40. Its built on the S40 platform, and uses the same wheelbase but the S60s wider track, for more stable cornering. But it needs that width between the wheels, to carry the extra weight. Because of the strengthening of the chassis, and the retractable hood mechanism, the C70 weighs 3772 pounds, which is 468 more than the S40 and 201 more than the larger S60.

Naturally this weight adversely affects the acceleration, handling and braking, although not the ride. The C70 uses the same well-proven turbocharged five-cylinder engine thats been powering Volvos for some time. Its 2.4 liters with dual overhead cams and variable camshaft timing, tuned to the same 218 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque as the S40; thats 10 horsepower more than the base S60, so the acceleration is about the same as the S60 sedan. Volvo estimates 0 to 60 at 7.6 seconds with the six-speed manual gearbox, and 8.0 seconds with the five-speed automatic. Eight seconds is considered by some to be roughly the dividing line between quick and average performance.

Like the S40, the C70 seems to be made for high-speed cruising. The acceleration isnt neck-snapping, but the top speed is a mind-boggling 150 mph, and electronically limited at that. The car is very smooth and steady at freeway-plus speeds. And with the steel top, theres no ragtop racket at high speed.

The C70 is front-wheel drive, and not yet available with Volvos superb all-wheel-drive system. The dream-machine C70 would have the 300-horsepower engine and AWD of the S60R. Volvo has no immediate plans for production of such a vehicle, but its still early. (And such a car would, of course, be more expensive.)

Our test model was equipped with the standard six-speed, and we think its the better choice, partly because the C70 feels so much like a sports car, and partly because the six-speed allows snappier acceleration. Its such a good gearbox, smooth and tight, repeatedly praised in other places on this site. If its good enough for the high-performance S60R, its great in the C70.
We put about 60 more curvy miles on a C70 with the optional five-speed automatic, and its a fine, crisp transmission. If you dont like the work that a manual transmission requires, youll have no problem with the automatic. And for those who want a little extra control at times, the automatic features a satisfying and obedient Auto-stick mode.

Our driving route on the Hawaiian island of Maui included a 52-mile stretch with some 600 curves; thats right, six hundred. We drove quickly, keeping in mind the safety of others of course, with repeated spurts of acceleration followed by sharp braking. There was no indication that the vented 11.8-inch front and 11-inch rear discs got hot (unlike the rental car we later used on that same road).

The C70 doesnt feel heavy when you flick it around in the curves. The rack-and-pinion steering is power-assisted and electro-hydraulic, and provides a solid feel. We wouldnt call it light or nimble, but turning the C70 doesnt require a lot of effort. It simply gives good feedback through the healthy leather-wrapped steering wheel. Solid as a Swede.

The same could be said of the ride. The stiffening of the chassis is clearly apparent, especially when compared to a C70 convertible we drove two years ago, whose shaking on rough roads was disappointing, to say the least. The Maui roads were pretty rough, and the C70 handled them nearly as smoothly as the S60 sedan would have.

The C70 requires premium fuel, and Volvo says it will get 20 city and 29 highway miles per gallon.

Scant Trunk Room

Little trunk space is to be found, especially with the retractable hardtop in its lowered position. A small amount of soft luggage or a few duffle bags thus are recommended for trips.

However, trunk space isnt much of an issue for many owners of convertibles, which arent considered primary cars and are used as second or third family autos. And you can always toss cargo in the back seat.

Trunk room aside, the new Volvo C70 T5 has the versatility to be used as a primary car, offering top-down driving kicks and all-weather versatility.


Overall Review:

The hardtop is certainly cool, needless to say. But besides that, what is good for a 4 seat convertible? Should it be a sedan with an open top, or a roadster with extra seats? In my opinion, most of those looking for a 4 seat convertible are conservative sedan minded but want a little fun of halfway sporty look. When you claim "2 cars in 1", you need to deliver something can serve as a sedan. I am driving an S80, a wonderful car.

I would love to have the same mechanics but with a little sporty look shell, not too aggressive, and a hard convertible top. C70 is not like that. Actually the old C70 was even closer to the function of a sedan. The major shortage is the storage room. Volvo did dig some storage under the trunk, but this is far from enough and at the cost of spare tire. Unless this is your third car after a sedan and an SUV, I dont see this car could serve as a every day car. Even it is only for a romantic ride, wont you like to do a little shopping on the way? In my opinion, Volvo should allow their C70 grow a little longer, approaching Sebrings size, and create more storage room. I also think the lack of wood trim is rather cheap look.

The test drive was really satisfying, as usual with Volvo. Though I really love to have that hardtop, the lack of storage room and the cheap interior look made me hesitant to replace my S80. Volvo should better get more new ideas since BMW, Lexas, and MB are comming soon to bite on Volvos nose. Those tigers have both sporty roadsters and sedan like 4 seats, while Volvo doesnt have a real roadster. How does volvo seperate from them next year?

2006 Volvo C70 Summary

The 2006 Volvo C70 is a 2-door, 4-passenger convertible, available in one trim only, the T5. Upon introduction, the C70 is equipped with a standard 2.5-liter, I5, 218-horsepower, turbo engine.

A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 5-speed automatic transmission is optional.

The 2006 Volvo C70 is all-new for 2006