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)
Price: from £29,805 (best price seen)
Volvo C70
Competitors
Audi A5
Diesel Cabriolet
BMW 3 Series
Diesel Convertible
Mercedes E Class
Diesel Cabriolet
Labels: cabriolet, car review, me-mo, Volvo C70, womens online driving magazine
posted by Ruthie @ 5:43 AM
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