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Volvo C70
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Volvo is generally regarded as the maker of
ultra-safe but rather staid and cumbersome sedans, frequently driven by middle-aged
men wearing hats.? Not a producer of a
stylish coup?-convertible that would appeal to both genders and, particularly those
young at heart. But that is exactly what the new Volvo C70 is offering and it
has just been released in Thailand.
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The C70 was originally conceived and
developed by Tom Walkinshaw?s TWR company in 1997 and was built at Tom?s 51 per
cent-owned facility in Uddevalla in western Sweden.? More than 50,000 cars were built until it was
discontinued in March 2005. Now TWR has gone bust and the factory is 60 per
cent owned by Turin
styling house Pininfarina, 40 per cent by Volvo.? And the second-generation C70 has been
jointly engineered and developed by these two companies.
The latest C70, says Volvo, started life as
a conventional coup?, but the design team, headed by Fedde Talsma, decided to
?open it up?, creating an open or closed car, according to whim and weather.? The new car is shorter and lower than its
predecessor, but retains the same width.?
Unlike some of its rivals, it is a full four-seater, with wide opening
doors to facilitate ease of access to the rear.
While the C70 may not be the first coup?-convertible
on the market, it is the first with a three-piece top in the premium
segment.? It takes less than 30 seconds
for the roof to disappear into its dedicated trunk compartment.? Unfortunately, with the roof down, the trunk
capacity is halved, but a practical trunk divider makes it easy to assess how
much luggage can be accommodated when the roof is lowered.
The interior is modern and typically
Scandinavian in design, with clean surfaces, genuine materials and a sound degree of functionality, as found in the best Swedish
furniture.? On a more important issue,
there is a cabin air filter and an advanced air-quality monitor that ensures
the air occupants breathe is as clean and healthy as possible.? It shuts out or removes unhealthy particles,
gases and odors.?? In addition, all
interior fabrics meet the ?ko-Tex Standard 100 which ensures that textiles and
leather are free from allergy-inducing substances or harmful emissions.
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An open-closed car is a serious challenge
to an audio engineer, but in the C70 its occupants can experience a world-class
sound system, complete with a mind-boggling 910W output, Dynaudio speakers and
dual subwoofers behind the backrests.? To
cope with the changeable conditions from closed to open configuration, Volvo
has invested in the latest digital technology to adapt the sound system and
maintain consistent reproduction.
Two power plants are available in Thailand: a five
cylinder 2.4i with continuous variable valve timing on the inlet side, or a
five-cylinder, turbocharged 20-valve model with variable timing on both inlet
and exhaust camshafts. The 2.4i produces 170 bhp (125 kW); the T5 220 bhp.? Performance figures are a 0-100 km/h sprint
time of 10 seconds for the smaller unit, eight seconds for the T5.? Maximum velocity is 215 and 235 km/h
respectively.
More significantly, the torque output of
the T5 is a strong 320 Nm, produced between 1500 and 4800 rpm.? The 2.4 liter model still offers good torque
of 230 Nm, but peaks at 4400 rpm.? Both
cars are only offered with a five-speed automatic transmission in this market.
Volvo expects to sell 16,000 of the C70
annually, with half that total going to the US. The UK
and Germany will account for
roughly 30 per cent, with the remainder going to other markets, including Thailand. According
to Volvo Cars? research, every second C70 coup?-convertible will be owned by a
female.?
Prices are 4.19m baht for the 2.4i, 4.79m
for the T5.
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