Alternative review of Volvo C70

This Volvo is beautiful, luxurious and has all its assets in the right places - which means that it doesn't have much in common with me. Having, said that, when you take the C70 out on the road, everyone turns and looks, but they're looking at the car, not the driver. So, yes, I reckon it'd suit me. It's a true four-seater and comes without any of the hassles that most convertible owners so often endure. For a start, it's not immediately obvious that it is even a convertible. The flowing lines would fool most observers into thinking it's a coupe. Only when you flip the lid down will this C70's secret be revealed. Whereas most coupe-convertible models look a little ungainly in their proportioning, Volvo's clever three-piece folding roof means that the boot doesn't have to be quite so long and therefore, the C70's silhouette is that much more elegant.

Practicality isn't normally a convertible strong point but the C70 isn't too bad in this regard. With the roof up there's a decently-sized boot but you'll need to remember that the 'cassette' into which the hood folds eats up quite a bit of boot space, so don't load it to capacity and then wonder why you can't drop the roof. Rear seat space is better than you might expect and the front seats have an electrically-operated slide to ease access to and from the back. There are also quite a few handy cubbies around the cabin with twin cupholders front and rear as well as big door bins that lock on the central locking, allowing you to leave the car with the hood folded down. The latest models also feature a multi-function storage area between the front seats and a more compact handbrake design. One drawback about the folding hard top is that you can't get luggage out when the hood is folded down. In order to grab a bag out of the boot, you'll need to raise the roof, extract your luggage and then drop the top back down again. You also need to be at a dead stop with your foot on the brake to do this - some cars allow for the hood to be operated at speeds of up to 15mph.

It's no great secret that the C70 is based on the Ford Focus chassis which means that it's a cracking drive. There is a small degree of body flex when you're at the wheel but the handling and steering are a cut above what you'd expect from this sort of car and when coupled with the rorty turbocharged T5 producing 220bhp and torque of 320Nm, the C70 is a bit of an animal. The lion's share of sales are apportioned to the rather more sedate D3 and D4 diesels with 148 and 175bhp respectively. It's easy to find a decent seating position with the multi-adjustable steering wheel and seat and it's not too windy at speed - in the front at least. The floating-dash design of the fascia is a very neat piece of styling that will draw comment from your passengers.

Give me the money to spend on a C70 and I'll certainly live with it. This car really does seem to have everything I want, as well as everything I need.

TOP 5 C70 DEALS

The results below show the top C70 deals on buyacar

Volvo C70 D3 [150] ES 2dr Diesel Coupe Convertible
Price £24,451 Read C70 Reviews	Save £5,344
Volvo C70 D3 [150] SE Lux Solstice 2dr Geartronic Coupe Convertible Special Eds
Price £30,499 Read C70 Reviews	Save £6,156
Volvo C70 D3 [150] SE Lux 2dr Diesel Coupe Convertible
Price £27,777 Read C70 Reviews	Save £5,798
Volvo C70 D4 [177] SE Lux 2dr Geartronic Diesel Coupe Convertible
Price £29,874 Read C70 Reviews	Save £6,071
Volvo C70 D4 [177] SE Lux Solstice 2dr Geartronic Coupe Convertible Special Eds
Price £31,194 Read C70 Reviews	Save £6,251
VIEW MORE DISCOUNT C70 DEALS