Volvo C70

Volvo C70 Convertible
Overview
Manufacturer	Volvo Cars Pininfarina Sverige AB (2nd generation)
Production	1997–2013 P80: 1997-2004 (1st generation) P1: 2006-2013 (2nd generation)
Assembly	Uddevalla, Sweden
Body and chassis
Body style	Cabriolet
Layout	FF layout
Chronology
Predecessor	Volvo 780

The Volvo C70 is a two-door, four-passenger compact manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars from 1997 to 2013. Its first generation was available as both a coupé (1997-2002) and softtop convertible (1999-2005).^[1] The second generation C70 was only available as a retractable hardtop convertible (2006-2013).^[2]

First generation (1997–2004)

First generation
Overview
Manufacturer	Volvo Cars
Production	1997–2004 (approx. 70,000 units)[3] 1997-2002 C70 coupé 1998-2004 C70 convertible
Designer	Peter Horbury(exterior) José Luis Diaz de la Vega (interior)[4][5]
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door cabriolet 2-door coupé
Layout	Front engine, front-wheel drive
Platform	Volvo P80
Powertrain
Engine	2.0 L B5204T turbo I5 2.3 L B5234T turbo I5 2.4 L B5244T/B5254T turbo I5
Transmission	5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic, 5-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	1998–99 Coupe: 104.7 in (2,659 mm) 1998–2002 Convertible & 2000–02 Coupe: 2660 mm (104.9 in) 2003–05: 105.0 in (2,667 mm)
Length	1997–2002: 4720 mm (185.7 in) 2003–2005: 4,724 mm (186.0 in)
Width	1,820 mm (71.7 in)
Height	1998–99 Coupe: 55.7 in (1,415 mm) 1430 mm (56.3 in)
Curb weight	1,450 kg (3,200 lb)-1,650 kg (3,640 lb)

Volvo introduced the first generation C70 at the 1996 Paris Motor Show, following a European introduction as a 1997 model, and later as a 1998 model in North America — with 2.0 (sold mostly in Italy), a low-pressure turbo (2.4L) and a high-pressure turbo (2.0L and 2.3L), 5-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engines and manual and automatic transmissions. Peter Horbury^[6][7] designed the exterior and Mexican designer Jose Diaz de la Vega^[8] led the interior design team.

The C70 broke Volvo's decades-long styling tradition of boxy, rectilinear designs and was Volvo's first luxury coupe since the 780. According to Peter Horbury, Volvo's design chief from 1991 to 2002, with the C70, Volvo threw away the box, but "kept the toy inside!"^[9] "Our vision was to design a convertible that would meet the needs of a family of four looking for comfortable blue-sky motoring in a vehicle also providing stylish looks, performance and faultless driving and road-holding."^[10]

In a development program of 30 months^[7] and working with a Volvo 850-derived platform,^[7] Britain’s TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) co-designed the car's basic design and suspension tuning with Volvo. Manufacture of the C70 was a joint venture^[9] until the two companies experienced disputes that threatened to interrupt production; TWR did not contribute to the second generation C70.

Volvo's first modern convertible, the C70 was manufactured in Uddevalla, Sweden on a separate assembly line from the 70-series sedan and station wagon. The four-seater convertible featured an electrically heated glass rear window, automatic (pop-up) rollover hoops, seat belt pre-tensioners, boron steel reinforced A-pillars, front and side airbags, and a safety cage — a horseshoe-like structure around the passenger compartment.^[8]

The cloth convertible top, initially available in four colors,^[11] was fully automatic, operated by a single, dashboard-mounted button.^[11] The top stored automatically under an integral rigid tonneau cover in a system pioneered in modern convertibles with the fourth generation Mercedes SL.

The C70 convertible exhibited two negative traits endemic to convertibles: poor rear visibility^[11] and pronounced scuttle shake,^[12] a characteristic whereby the structural design of the bulkhead between engine and passenger compartment of a convertible suffers sufficiently poor rigidity to negatively impact ride and handling, allowing noticeable vibration, shudder or chassis-flexing into the passenger compartment.

Early special editions featured two-tone leather interior with wood trim and a SC-901 (1998) Dolby Pro Logic I stereo with 3-disc integrated changer unit (via a cartridge) 400 watts of power and 11 high end Dynaudio speakers.

The C70 was introduced to the press in a signature color (saffron pearl metallic) and for the debut marketing, the 1997 movie The Saint featured a C70 — recalling the notable connection of the Volvo P1800 and the TV series from the early 1960s, The Saint with Roger Moore as Simon Templar.

There was no 2005 model C70 in North America, the 2004 left over models were sold into 2005 there.^[13] 72,000 first generation C70s were produced in the seven years up to 2006, fewer than 50,000 were convertibles.^[14]

Second generation (2006–2013)

Second generation
Overview
Production	2006–2013 (89,074 units)[15]
Designer	Steve Mattin Senior Vice President of Design – Volvo Cars,[16] Fedde Talsma design manager,[17] John Kinsey designer,[18] Tony Pettman (interior)[19]
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupé convertible
Layout	Front engine, front-wheel drive
Platform	Volvo P1[20]
Powertrain
Engine	2.4L 125 kW (170 PS; 168 hp) I5 (2006–2009) 2.5L 162 kW (220 PS; 217 hp) I5 turbo charged petrol (2006–2007) 2.5L 223 hp (166 kW; 226 PS) I5 turbo charged petrol (2008–2009) 2.5L 230 hp (172 kW; 233 PS) I5 turbo charged petrol (2010) 2.4L 132.5 kW (180 PS; 178 hp) I5 turbo Diesel (in Europe) 2.0L 100 kW (136 PS; 134 hp) I4 turbo Diesel (in Europe)
Transmission	5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, 6-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,640 mm (103.9 in)
Length	2007–2010: 4,582 mm (180.4 in) 2011–: 4,613 mm (181.6 in)
Width	2007–2010: 1,820 mm (71.7 in) 2011–: 1,834 mm (72.2 in)
Height	1,400 mm (55.1 in)
Curb weight	1,725 kg (3,803 lb)

Initial release

The second generation C70 model was debuted at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show,^[21] sharing the Volvo S40 platform,^[22] designed by John Kinsey^[18] and built by Pininfarina Sverige AB, a joint venture between Pininfarina and Volvo.^[23] It went on sale in the U.S. in spring 2006.^[21] The three-piece retractable hardtop raises or lowers in under 30 seconds and replaces both the convertible and the coupé, the latter which had been absent from Volvo's lineup since 2003. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States recently conducted its first crash tests of several convertibles and designated the C70 a "Top Safety Pick".

Engines

Petrol engines

Model	Years	Type	Power, torque@rpm
2.4	2005–2009	2,435 cc (149 cu in) I5 (B5244S2)	140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp)@5000, 220 N·m (162 lb·ft)@4000
2.4i	2005–2009	2,435 cc (149 cu in) I5 (B5244S4)	170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp)@6000, 230 N·m (170 lb·ft)@4400
T5 (220PS)	2005–2007	2,521 cc (154 cu in) I5 turbo (B5254T)	220 PS (162 kW; 217 hp)@5000, 320 N·m (236 lb·ft)@1500–4800
T5 (230PS)	2007–	2,521 cc (154 cu in) I5 turbo (B5254T7)	230 PS (169 kW; 227 hp)@5000, 320 N·m (236 lb·ft)@1500–5000 with Polestar Performance Software: 253 PS (186 kW; 250 hp)@?, 370 N·m (273 lb·ft)@?

Diesel engines

Model	Years	Type	Power, torque@rpm
2.0D	2007–	1,997 cc (122 cu in) I4 turbo (D4204T)	136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp)@4000, 320 N·m (236 lb·ft)@2000
D5 (automatic)	2006–	2,400 cc (146 cu in) I5 turbo (D5244T8)	180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp)@4000, 350 N·m (258 lb·ft)@1750–3250
D5 (manual)	2006–	2,400 cc (146 cu in) I5 turbo (D5244T13)	180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp)@4000, 400 N·m (295 lb·ft)@2000–2750 (2009–)

Polestar performance update is available vehicles with T5 engine, model year 2008 and newer.^[24]

Safety

Safety systems include a door-mounted side impact protection inflatable which inflates upward when activated.^[6] The curtain has an extra stiff construction with double rows of slats that are slightly offset from each other. This allows them to remain upright and offer effective head protection even with the window open. The curtain also deflates slowly to provide protection should the car roll over. This is a unique solution in the automotive world.

The C70 retractable hardtop also features a roll over protection structure (ROPS) with two pyrotechnically charged roll hoops hidden behind the rear seats that deploy under roll-over conditions whether the roof is retracted or not. Volvo featured this advancement in a copy of the "Volvo Saved My Life Club" brochures. There, a woman was able to walk away from an accident after she slid off an ice-covered mountain road and rolled her C70 which then slid more than 30 feet (9.1 m) down the mountain face.

Production

As of 2006, production was increased from 16,000 annual units to 20,000.^[25]

2010 update / facelift

Volvo introduced an updated version of the C70, in new Flamenco Red Pearl paint, at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show,^[26][27] and later in 2010 South Florida International Auto Show.

The new C70 includes a redesigned front end, new rear LED lamps, and a redesigned, wider instrument panel.

The engine and transmission remain the same as before, and the interior is largely unchanged as well. It went on sale in early 2010.

US model went on sale in 2010 as 2011 model year vehicle. Early model includes C70 T5.^[28]

C70 Inscription (2011–)

It is a limited (2,000 units a year) version of C70 with choice of three colours (Black Stone (Solid), Black Sapphire (Metallic) and Ice White (Solid)), 18-inch Midir wheels in black with polished spokes and outer perimeter, high-gloss paint on the grille and the LED Daytime Running Lights surrounded by contrasting chrome, an exclusive leather-covered dashboard with contrasting stitching, Sovereign Hide upholstery in Off Black or Calcite with the same contrasting stitching as on dashboard, handbrake lever and carpets; "Inscription" embroidered on the front headrests, special Inscription carpets and handbrake lever, steering wheel and gear shift knob with aluminium inlays, sports pedals with aluminium inlay, aluminium inlay in centre stack (optional Black or Nordic Light Oak)

The vehicle was unveiled in 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, and went on sale beginning in November 2011.^[29]

North American model went on sale in the first quarter of 2012 in limited quantities (500 units in 2012), and includes T5 engine, Active dual Xenon headlights, rear spoilers, aluminium sport pedals.^[30]

2013 Volvo Special Edition C70 (2013)

It is a version of 2013 Volvo C70 for Canadian market with BLIS (Blindspot Information System), 18-inch Midir diamond-cut alloy rims, retractable side view mirrors, an integrated wind blocker, choice of 3 body colours (Ice White, Electric Silver, Ember Black), bespoke interiors swathed in Graphite Sovereign Hide, Cacao Sovereign Hide and Cranberry Leather; free option spare wheel kit containing a spare wheel Tempa Spare in trunk.^[31][32]

Engines

Petrol engines

Model	Years	Type	Power, torque@rpm
T5 (230PS)	2009–	2,521 cc (154 cu in) I5 turbo (B5254T7)	230 PS (169 kW; 227 hp)@5000, 320 N·m (236 lb·ft)@1500–5000 with Polestar Performance Software: 253 PS (186 kW; 250 hp)@?, 370 N·m (273 lb·ft)@?

Diesel engines

Model	Years	Type	Power, torque@rpm
D3	2009–	1,984 cc (121 cu in) I5 turbo (D5204T5)	150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp)@3500, 350 N·m (258 lb·ft)@1500–2750
D4	2009–	1,984 cc (121 cu in) I5 turbo (D5204T)	177 PS (130 kW; 175 hp)@3500, 400 N·m (295 lb·ft)@1750–2750

Polestar performance update is available vehicles with T5 engine, model year 2008 and newer.^[24]

Production

Production of C70 began in Volvo's joint-venture plant with Pininfarina Sverige in Uddevalla, Sweden began in 2005. On October 4, 2011 it was announced production would cease in 2013, following the termination of the joint venture.^[33][34] The last C70 rolled out of the Uddevalla assembly plant on June 25, 2013.^[35]

See also

• Volvo S40
• Volvo C30
• Roll over protection structure

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Volvo C70.

• Official Volvo C70 website (international)

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Type	1960s										1970s										1980s										1990s										2000s										2010s
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5
Small family car																	66												440/460
																											480																				C30
	544																340/360																			S40/V40									S40/V50								V40
Large family car	Amazon/120/130																																									S60/V70									S60/V60
	Duett							140/145								240																	850						S70/V70
Executive car																260										740						940								S80								S80/V70
									164															760								960							S90/V90
Sports saloon																			242 GT			240 Turbo														850 T5/R			S70/V70 T5/R				S60/V70 T5			S60/V70 R
Sports car		P1800		1800S							1800E		1800ES
Coupé																			262C									780											C70								C70
Crossover																																																		XC60
																																							XC70				XC70						XC70
																																												XC90											XC90