Volvo and excitement-in the past, these were not words most people would be inclined to use in the same sentence. But things are changing rapidly for Sweden's largest automaker. The latest and certainly most dramatic proof of its corporate repositioning is the C70 coupe. This rakish front-drive two-door brings together new levels of luxury and performance while retaining the firm's longstanding commitment to safety. Cars won't start arriving here until the fall, but we recently drove some early pilot models to preview what's ahead. To say we were deeply impressed would be a major understatement.
Volvo will market both coupe and convertible versions of the C70, with the latter variant likely to follow in spring 1998. The program went from concept to reality in a mere 30 months. By keeping the development team small and raiding the corporate parts bin where possible, Volvo saved both time and money in the process. Overall responsibility for the C70 effort belonged to Project Leader Hkan Abrahamsson, with Design Director Peter Horbury and his deputy, Jose Diaz de la Vega, handling the car's exterior and interior treatments, respectively.
Another critical link in the C70 saga is Tom Walkinshaw's eminently successful TWR, Inc., organization. In addition to helping with basic development and suspension tuning-all of which was directly overseen by Volvo-TWR holds a 51/49-percent majority position in AutoNova, a joint-venture firm that will build C70s at a completely refurbished Volvo plant in Uddevalla, Sweden.
Mechanically, the C70 draws heavily from the component set of the 850-which has been reskinned, retrimmed, and renamed the S70 sedan and V70 wagon for '98. The basic floorpan and powertrain remain unchanged, as does the suspension design. However, the C70's glass, sheetmetal, and interior are all new, and its revised unibody structure boasts 40 percent more stiffness. Although the car's rounded-off front and rear fenders impart a scaled-down appearance, the C70 actually is 0.4 inch longer than the V70 and has 0.2 inch more wheelbase.
With pricing to start around $40,000, Volvo expects the upcoming Mercedes-Benz CLK, BMW M3 coupe with Luxury Package, and Lexus SC 300 to be the C70's major competitors. The car's bounteous roster of standards will include, among other items, leather upholstery, wood accent trim, a tilt/telescoping steering column, power windows/locks/mirrors, cruise control, keyless remote entry with anti-theft system, eight-way power seats, dual-zone auto climate-control system, power moonroof, dual front airbags plus dual side-impact bags, and a 400-watt, 10-speaker AM/FM/cassette with three-disc in-dash CD changer.
Volvo plans to use the first batch of C70s as "showcase vehicles," also equipping them with the Premium Option Package (a Dolby Pro-Logic digital sound processor, heated seats, low-speed traction control, headlight washers, outside temperature gauge, and enhanced leather interior trim) plus an 18-inch wheel/tire upgrade. Those extras should push the car's bottom line to about $45,000.
Interior cues in the C70 remain undeniably Volvo, but new color combinations and smoother contours impart a more modern feel to the mix. The comfortable and supportive front buckets have a power-assisted pull forward/back feature for easy rear seat access. Designed to be a true four-place vehicle, the C70's aft quarters boast sufficient head and leg room to qualify as adult-friendly. Well-formed "buckettes," positioned slightly inward and upward to provide better sightlines for rear passengers, are separated by a pulldown central armrest that also hides a convenient pass-through opening.
A 13.1-cubic-foot trunk suitably complements the C70's roomy interior. Although the decklid cutout is a bit narrow as it dips down between the taillights, liftover height is admirably low and space-saver hinges permit maximum utilization of the entire cargo area.