IN a busy year for Volvo, even niche models such as the C70 coupe convertible have come in for a refresh, with a curvier new nose, a slightly different rear, more high-end cabin treatment and a wider range of personalisation options. All are designed to boost the appeal of the four-year-old droptop. We think Volvo is in with a chance too, since the company slashed about $10,000 from the C70’s price late last year to greatly boost its value quotient. The fact that archrival Saab’s evergreen 9-3 Convertible is on hiatus is also a plus point for the team from Gothenburg. Still, for good or for bad, this car is still essentially the same C70.

C70
Released: March 2007
Ended: April 2010
Family Tree: C70VOLVO’S previous convertible was the pretty but seriously flawed C70 from the late 1990s. Thankfully the second-generation model was a big leap forward.
Built off the second-generation Ford Focus C2 platform, and closely related to the S40 and V50 models, the front-wheel-drive four-seater convertible hardtop features a three-piece roof for improved top-up styling and storage ease, as well as advanced safety features like the world-first side head airbags in this type of car. Two five-cylinder petrol engines were available – the 125kW/230Nm 2.4-litre offering either a five-speed manual or five-speed Geartronic automatic gearbox in the base S and LE, or a turbocharged 2.5-litre unit delivering 169kW and 320Nm. Dubbed the T5, it proved to be the more popular with buyers.
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