Volvo C70

By Sam Hardy

February 2006

• Rating:
• Latest deal price: from £24,451 to £32,181

To find out, we've sampled one of the first right-hand-drive examples of the new Volvo C70 coup�-cabrio: the entry-level 2.4i Sport. Does it represent better value than the flagship T5 SE Lux driven in Issue 894? At £26,200, the Sport is £7,025 less than the range-topper, and features a 170bhp five-cylinder engine in place of the T5's 220bhp turbo.

Despite its status, equipment is generous, with climate and cruise control, leather trim, a good stereo and 17-inch alloys as standard. Of course, you also get some of the sharpest looks of any convertible on the road; wherever you go, the C70 attracts admiring glances. Drop the Pininfarina-developed three-piece roof, and you'll draw a crowd.

The delicate hard-top is a design masterpiece, and on bumpy UK roads, the structure proves rigid, with only a little wobble in full open-top mode - although some minor creaking is notice-able with the roof up. It all blends well with the warbly 2.4-litre engine. The Sport is 50bhp down on the T5 and can't match its muscular performance (0-60mph takes 9.1 seconds against the flagship's 7.6), yet it's brilliantly refined and makes for a good cruiser when you factor in the C70's taut but comfort-oriented driving experience.

And while economy could be better at 31mpg combined - something the imminent 180bhp D5 diesel will address - there's no doubt that the 2.4i Sport is the current pick of the C70 range.

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