These are the first official pictures of Volvo’s second-generation C70, and they reveal that the Swedish manufacturer is the latest to adopt a fashionable folding hardtop roof system for its open offering.
The elegant in-house designed coupe-cabriolet replaces the ageing but still popular C70, which was penned by Ian Callum at TWR. Frankfurt’s motor show in September will provide the first public viewing of the car, with sales beginning early next year. Prices are expected to start at around £26,000 for the base 170bhp 2.4, rising to £33,000 for the range-topping 220bhp T5. A 180bhp 2.4-litre five-cylinder common rail diesel will follow later in 2006.
Underpinning the new C70 is the C1 platform from parent company Volvo, basis for the Ford Focus and Mazda 3 as well as Volvo’s own S40 and V50, whose dashboard the four-seater C70 shares. From the windscreen base forwards the C70 is virtually identical to its saloon and estate siblings, though the steeply-raked screen, long doors and the extended rear overhang to accommodate the roof give it a unique look.
The three-piece roof was developed in collaboration with Pininfarina, while the safety systems are all Volvo. Key new development is a curtain that inflates upwards from the doors to provide side impact protection. This will be offered as standard, along with two roll-over hoops that pop up from behind the rear seats when sensors detect an imminent roll over.
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