Thursday, October 18, 2012

Going Topless in the Volvo C70- a Woman's Eye Car Review


                               


At the risk of massive generalisations-I’ve yet to meet a woman who doesn’t love a cabriolet; perhaps it’s the extreme expression of freedom that driving or riding au naturel gives you, from a whiff of fresh air in a Fiat 500 cabrio to a full-on blast from a roof down roadster...driving topless can be as therapeutic as a spa visit.  The Volvo C70 sits at the luxury end of the cabrio market with the added attraction of a hard-top cover-up when not in use.  
Volvo has long been known as the safety minded mother of all vehicle brands and, if you ever had doubts about the safety features of an open top car, Volvo  (literally) puts a lid on those niggles with one of the first hard-top cabrios available, and with considerable safety features, to boot.
The  front cabin of the C70 is remarkably spacious and, with the lid down, barely a hair blows out of place (my rear seat passenger was a little more windswept) and the overall feel of the vehicle is one of sturdiness and solidity. The C70 comes in 3 models (2 diesel and one petrol-all turbocharged) with the top of the range T5 petrol achieving 0-62 in 7.4 secs-who knew power could be so sensible?
 The seating position, which is perfect for overall visibility and manoeuvrability of the controls,  can be easily adjusted via the side electric controls  and, having positioned the steering wheel at probably its lowest level since the car had been manufactured (us girls do like to sit nice n close to the wheel) the car fitted like a perfect metal glove.
Safety features include the excellent BLIS system (Blind Spot Information System) designed to subtly alert you to cars approaching from either side of the vehicle, in that annoying blind spot between rear-view mirror and wing-mirror vision-particularly useful with motorway driving.
Having it all has never been easy however, and some compromises do have to be made. The sheer weight and size of the roof, when retracted in to the boot space does not leave much room for your Louis Vuitton luggage (or even your TK Maxx lookalikes) so a long weekend away, with four passengers would not look promising if you’d also like to take your top off. The last thing a girl needs, on a weekend away, is to be struggling with room in her Volvo.
Overall, a reassuringly safe option for open-top driving with the added benefit of a warm cover up and many safety features as standard.
Colour Options: 3 solid colour options: Black Stone, Passion Red , Ice White
Metallic: Silver, 2 Blacks 2 Blues, Bronze, Red and Silver
Upholstery: in a range of leather in a choice of  off-Black or Cream
MPG:  Both Diesel Models : 47.9 CO2 emissions: 154g/km
Petrol: 30.1 mpg CO2 emissions: 219g/km
0-62 in 7.4 secs (T5 version)
The C70 boasts a host of Safety features as standard:
 Dual Stage Driver and Passenger Airbags
Passenger Airbag Cut Off Switch
SIPS (Side Impact Protection System)
SIPS Airbags
IC (Inflatable Curtains – Door Mounted)
ROPS (Roll Over Protection System)
WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System)
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution)


and EBA (Electronic Brake Assistance)
DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control)
4 Three Point Seat Belts
Seat Belt Pre-tensioners (Front and Rear)
ISOFIX Attachment (Rear Seats)
Anti-theft Alarm including Immobiliser, Volume Sensor and Level Sensor
Key Integrated Remote Control Central Locking including Fuel Flap
with Deadlocking System


Price:  from £29,805 (best price seen)



Volvo C70 Competitors

Audi A5 Diesel Cabriolet
BMW 3 Series Diesel Convertible
Mercedes E Class Diesel Cabriolet

Ruthie at Me-Mo    www.me-mo.co.uk

A Me-Mo Car Review 


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