Volvo C70 (2006 – 2010) Review
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Volvo C70 (2006 – 2010) At A Glance
Genuine four-seat coupe-convertible. Tidy handling and a comfortable long-distance cruiser. Stylish looks, especially roof down.
Expensive. Complex roof mechanism. Not as accomplished as the folding tin-top 3 Series.
I like the S40 and V40. Nice styling. Decent road manners, as you'd expect from their Focus II floorpan. I even appreciate the clean look and functionality of their ‘floating' central dash panels.
I wasn't a fan of the old C70 convertible though. It shook, shimmied, leaked through the door mirror housings and did not drive anything like as well as its styling promised.
Surprisingly, and this is a very subjective thing, the new C70 doesn't look quite as good from all angles and in all circumstances as preview photos promised. Or maybe it just doesn't suit red as well as silver or pale metallic blue. The stubby front that works brilliantly on the saloon and station wagon can seem slightly at odds with the low curve of the roof. And red appears to emphasise that.
On its 18" Mirzam wheels with 235/40 tyres it's not too happy over speed cushions either. And at first there seemed to a kind of stickiness to the electro hydraulic steering, pulling the car one way or the other, which I never noticed in any of the 5-cylinder saloons or estates, or the Focus ST220 for that matter. And the roof whistled at 70mph from the top of the nearside A pillar.
Reviews for Volvo C70 (2006 – 2010)'s top 3 rivals
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Volvo C70 (2006 – 2010) handling and engines
Delivery day was sunny but not guaranteed to stay that way so I got the car to my
If you pitched the C70 up against the Audi A4 cabrio, the old BMW 3-Series convertible and the SAAB 9-3 convertible (where it's priced), it's still the only one with a folding hard-top. Its Focus based handling has less understeer than the much-improved Audi and the SAAB, but neither of these are bad cars. It beats the current BMW because that's blighted by the fact it's up for replacement by an E92 CI folding hardtop that arrives in the UK just in time for next winter.
Lower down the scale are the forthcoming VW Eos, Astra Twintop and Focus CC, all landing here this Spring or Summer, and the existing Peugeot 307CC and Renault Megane CC which are discounted down to as little as £14,000. So to justify paying £26,000 to £33,000 for the C70 you have to put it in the same class as the Audi, BMW, SAAB and even the Mercedes CLK convertible.
Up to you. It's undoubtedly the ‘must-have' high-status genuine four-seater coupe convertible for this summer.
UPDATE: C70 D5 GEARTRONIC
As with Volvo's other premium niche car the XC90, demand for the C70 has outstripped supply in all markets, especially RHD. So, unless you've already got a car coming, you might as well wait until September 2006 for the first UK deliveries of the C70 D5 Geartronic.
It makes the most sense of all C70s for all the right reasons. It goes well. With 180bhp and 258 lb ft torque from 1,750 to 3,250rpm it's ideally matched to the five-speed autobox. So well matched, in fact, that there is little need to use the wrong-way-round Geartronic shifter function to change gears yourself. 5th gives 35mph per 1,000rpm, so it's a relaxed cruiser, too
Despite being quite a heavy engine the D5 doesn't seem to upset the car's handling. And Sweden's constant radius curves were a pleasure to navigate with the car's excellent steering and chunky, leather-clad wheel.
I found the button that raises the roof parts in the boot to enable you to tuck luggage underneath.
And I worked out where the car looks its best. Not on the ridge over the M3 where I try to snap everything. Not top up on the street where I live. It has to be top-down near water. Then the C70 looks sensational, particularly in red.
Volvo C70 (2006 – 2010) interior
Delivery day was sunny but not guaranteed to stay that way so I got the car to my snapshot spot as quickly as I could, then tried to get the roof down. Nothing happened. I tried again. Then again. Then spotted something about luggage on the dashboard display and opened the boot to find that the luggage cover was flopped back and the roof would not come down until it was pulled into its place.
You then have to press the footbrake and hold the switch while the roof goes through its acrobatics. First the boot lid opens backwards. Then the roof separates into three. Then it piles its component parts on top of each other. Then it packs them into the boot. The whole thing is so complex, with arms and cables all over the place that I can imagine a cottage industry developing to fix them when they go wrong (STCS soft tops of Coventry, tel: 02476-455477). And I can see why the 307CC, Megane CC and forthcoming Focus CC have only a two-part roof. A word of warning here. Don't try this at home. Not in the garage, anyway because the roof folding performance may require a lot more height than your garage ceiling.
My red car was much prettier with the top down than up. There's plenty of legroom in the two back seats. You don't get a lot of bluster driving it top down. And, after I put the top back up again, the previous squeaks, rattles and wind noise had all miraculously disappeared. I took it on quite a long trip the next day: two hours there, two hours back on a variety of roads and it was fine. A very nice cruiser, in fact, and one I'd be very happy to drive to Spain, top up, a/c on and a boot full of luggage, knowing when I got there I could cruise around as topless as the talent on the beaches.
It has a stunning Dynaudio sound system, too. Corinne Bailey Ray came on Radio 2 singing ‘Like a Star', beautifully clear, from her number one album almost exactly a month after I first heard ‘Put Your Records On' in a Lexus IS250. I don't normally take an interest in such things. But she forced me to. The first really good voice I've heard in years, and better through Volvo's Dynaudio system than from the kit I have at home.
Model History
January 0001
Beautiful coupe convertible based on S40/V50 platform with same 5-cylinder engines. At launch, the only classy four-seater folding tin top (Eos and 3-Series came later).
Two five-cylinder petrol engines: 2.4i (170bhp) and T5 (220bhp). Could order from mid November 2005. Five-cylinder, 180bhp D5 diesel engine to follow in mid 2006. Probably best as a non turbo auto. SE Lux has fantastic Dynaudio sound system.
2.4i S £25,750
2.4i Sport £26,200
2.4i SE£27,450
2.4i SE Lux £29,950
T5 Sport £29,475
T5 SE £30,725
T5 SE Lux £33,225
136PS 2-litre turbodiesel available from autumn 2007. 136PS and 320Nm of torque, top speed 127mph and 0 to 62mph in 11 seconds, 46.3mpg combined and CO2 emissions of 161g/km.
May 2008
Volvo C70 from May 2008. The C70 Coupe Convertible offers ECC (Electronic Climate Control), power windows, information centre, cruise control and High Performance audio system as standard equipment and, across the C70 range, the new enhanced RTI Navigation system and Keyless Drive are available as no cost options for the 2009 model year. Prices remain stable with the range starting at £25,750 OTR for the C70 2.4i S.
The new Powershift gearbox, introduced to the Volvo C30, S40 and V50 earlier this year, has now been launched in the C70 range. Available on the 2.0D engine only, it reaches 0-60mph in 10.5 seconds, features a combined mpg of 44.8 and boasts a 167g/km CO2 figure. This new Powershift six-speed unit features twin wet clutches to provide the gear changing comfort of a fully-automatic transmission with the performance of a manual gearbox. As well as offering gear changing comfort and high performance, Powershift also contributes to delivering improved fuel efficiency. The recommended retail price is £1,250 over the 2.0D.
Volvo emblem on the tailgate larger and more wide-spread; enhancing its visibility. Power mirrors with an autofold function now standard1 across the Volvo model range. Mirrors can be set to fold in automatically when the car is locked, and fold out again when the car is unlocked. Communications Pack have also revised and now includes RTI Navigation System, Keyless Drive and Bluetooth® Handsfree System.2
Bluetooth handsfree system is also available as an individual option for a RRP of £200 on the Volvo C30, S40, V50 and C70. This handsfree system automatically recognises a Bluetooth® compatible mobile phone as it enters the car and seamlessly takes over, allowing the driver to switch freely from the mobile phone to the handsfree system. By simply touching the blue button, the Bluetooth® handsfree system will listen to commands and make calls.
A new Homelink option is available across the Volvo range for a RRP of £501 . With buttons integrated in the sun visor, Homelink® allows the occupants to operate remote controlled home appliances, such as a garage door, home alarm and exterior lighting, without leaving the car.
March 2009
Volvo C70 Ice White launched, powered by 2.0D engine and priced at £24,495. Features £2,350 worth of extra equipment over the standard 2.0D S model including Leather Calcite upholstery with aluminium inlays and off black trim and 18” Midir alloy wheels. Externally, the Volvo C70 Ice White sports the head-turning Ice White finish. Exterior appeal is also boosted with 18” Midir diamond cut alloy wheels.
May 2009
2010 Model Year Announced. The 2.0D engine in the C70 has been updated to offer CO2 emissions of 158 g/km to enable the car to fall below the 160 g/km threshold for the Capital Write Down Allowance. The Volvo C70 range starts at £24,995 OTR for the 2.0D S model.
What to watch out for
On S40 and V50 special plastic electronic 'key' gets stuck in dashboard and in January 2006 Volvo was quoting until May 2006 to supply a replacement, offering customers courtesy cars for that period. (No such problems so far reported on C70.)
ESP warning light can indicate Fault Code "Boost Pressure Sensor G201". This is embedded inside Teves Mk 60 ABS systems and requires replacement of ABS control unit/pump. Seems to be age-related, occurring mainly in 3 - 5 year old cars. Does not necessarily lead to an MoT failure. If car has been Volvo maintained, Volvo will usually meet 70% to 100% of replacement cost. Bosch ABS systems do not have the problem. Only affects cars up to 2007 model year. Does not affect S40s fitted with Bosch ABS units.
WARNING: Dodgy dealers and unscrupulous private vendors are now unplugging the ECU as no warning then shows on the dash. Replace the plug and the light 'ECU off' appears permanently whether you switch it on or off.
2010 TSB related to rising sump oil levels in D5 Diesel engines with a DPF which is caused by excess fuel entering the engine sump via cylinders during DPF regeneration cycles. The solution is to reprogram the engine management software to reduce the volume of fuel used during the regeneration cycle and drain the excess oil back to midway between the min/max levels on the dip stick, then keep an eye on it. Really, any engine that has had its lube oil contaminated by diesel needs a lube oil change.
25-10-2011:Timing belt tensioner of 2.5 litre Volvo engine can fail in as little as 50,000 miles, flinging off the belt and wrecking the engine, then landing the owner with a £6,000 bill.
08-05-2013:C70 D5 can have same DPF problem as other D5s, compounded by confusingly marked dipstick. If DPF is not regenerating, the extra fuel pumped into the engine to regenerate the DPF sinks into the sump oil, raising the sump level.
05-05-2017:Report of rear damper mounting of 2006 Volvo C70 breaking after the car hit a pothole. Soon after the mounting of the damper on the other side broke.
28-11-2017:Report of 2008 Volvo C70 D5 needing a new a/c ompressor at 55,000 miles and the timing belt and ancilliary belts replaced. Then in November 2011 the air con compressor appears to have seized up (cause as yet unknown) which caused the ancillary belt to snap and to tangle itself with the timing belt, causing as yet unquantified damage to the engine.
