The Volvo C70: The Conservative Convertible

The Volvo group has always been known morewith newly released cars from Volvo, to its
about the safety of their cars than the kind of styleeasy-to-read analog dials; the car offers convenience
that their vehicles sport around. The reputationand comfort.
comes from Volvo's effort to increase the safety ofIt is also loaded with safety features that only Volvo
their cars which they designed to have a boxy look.can offer. The C70 is the only convertible that has
The boxy design is employed by early models of theside curtain airbags; this is a testament to the
car that is why the company is known not for thecompany's dedication to providing safe cars no
good looks of their cars.matter what the design may be.
The present though is different; the last decade hasThe performance of the car is optimized by a wide
seen Volvo produce cool looking cars in an effort toarray of high performance Volvo auto parts which
catch the attention of younger buyers. An exampleare known for their reliability and long service lifespan.
of the Sweden-based outfit effort to produce eyeIts turbocharged engine can accelerate the car from
pleasing design is their Volvo C70 convertible. The cara standstill to 60 miles per hour in roughly 7 seconds.
is originally designed as a coupe and is converted to aThe car's acceleration is quite remarkable given its
drop-top which has the conservative styling of aheavy roof, the added weight of chassis stiffening
Volvo but it still looks good.components, Boron steel windshield pillars and ballistic
The convertible does not offer radical designs butroll-over bars. What powers the car to that
the drop-top configuration of this car surelyremarkable acceleration is its powerplant that is a
commands attention. The car's attractiveness mirrorstransversely-mounted 2.5 liter turbocharged engine
the company's drive to not only provide safe carscapable of producing up to 218 horsepower at 5000
for the public but also good looking ones in order forrevs per minute.
them to have the younger consumers latch on - thisThe problem that is common to all convertible though
is the group which the company is hoping will becomeis that once the top is lowered, it cuts the luggage
their buyer base for many years to come.space in half, and the Volvo C70 is no exception to
The car employs a four-piece hardtop that gentlythat. But efforts put in the design of the convertible
tucks itself into the car's trunk in under 30 seconds.gives the driver a mechanism that allows him to raise
The precise engineering of the mechanism enablesthe top while it is inside the trunk to permit loading of
the driver to lower the top and it also makes theluggage underneath it before lowering it again. While
lowering of the top quite a sight to see.this does not solve the storage space problem, it is a
The convertible is a four-seater affair and offersclever way to make the best out of the situation.
good lumbar support to all its occupants. With theOverall, the convertible is a great ride, not only does
top up, it feels like a coupe from the inside, not onlyit offer good aesthetic value but also great
in its looks but the way you would feel when youperformance, with a healthy slice of safety thrown
drive it. The rest of the interior is also a good pieceinto the mix.
of work, from its floating console which is common