By Nick Syn

THE OLD C70 was memorable as much for its classy good looks as the epic scuttle shake it suffered from. The new car looks to be an almost entirely different proposition, while it’s based on the S40, and shares that cars attractive looks, Volvo has engineered the body structure to be twice as stiff as the previous C70’s.

The pictures alone bode well. There’s a fair bit of S40 DNA in the nose but Volvo has contrived it such that the looks also echo those of the company’s various concept cars. Overall, it’s extremely handsome, even more so than the old car, and it certainly conveys a far greater sense of dynamism.

Set to be officially launched at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the new car features a three-piece retractable hardtop, and should provide comfortable seating for four adults. Developed as part of a joint venture with Italian design house, Pininfarina, the C70 is one of the first premium segment cars to boast both a folding steel roof as well as space for four adults. Volvo expects the new C70 to double the sales volume of the old model.

The car will expectedly feature all the safety innovations that Volvo is known for, including new door-mounted Inflatable Curtain (IC) airbags. The ICs deploy upwards from within the doors and have been engineered to be extra stiff. Uniquely, the airbags also deflate slowly to provide extra protection in case the car rolls over.

Powering the C70 will be Volvo’s proven range of five cylinder engines. These include two naturally aspirated 2.4-litre engines, and a turbocharged 220bhp T5 variant. The car is expected to arrive here only in the third quarter of 2006, but if you’d like to see a clip of the C70’s roof in action, email us at volvo_roof@bigfish.com.sg, and remember to include the word “Volvo” in the subject line.