For immediate release
A new version of the dramatic C70 Coupe for 2002 -- called the C70 Coupe SE -- will offer a distinctive visual signature to the car that began the Volvo styling revolution in North America.
The C70 Coupe will also start the new model year with a $3,000 reduction in manufacturer's suggested retail price.
The C70 Coupe and companion C70 Convertible enter a new model year with vital specifications unchanged but with a renewed commitment to the stylish luxury that helped create Volvo's new design language. Since the debut of the stunning Coupe in 1997 and Convertible a year later, C70 has been the keystone of the new Volvo look and the embodiment of the company's break with the square designs of the past.
The new C70 Coupe SE takes full advantage of the new look with distinctive black "egg crate" grille, 5-spoke 'R' wheels and optional Graphite Grey metallic paint and claret wood or patterned aluminum accents to the leather interior treatment.
The C70 powertrain array, revised in 2000 and again in 2001, puts the emphasis on driving enjoyment. The C70 Convertible has two powertrain choices. Standard equipment in the Convertible LT is the 190 hp, 2.4-litre in-line 5-cylinder engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing, low pressure intercooled turbo and 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission - a combination that offers excellent response and driveability. The Convertible HT steps up to the 2.3-litre 5-cylinder with intercooled high pressure turbo, serving up 236 hp at 5400 rpm and 243 lb. ft. of torque at 2400 rpm. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard and the 5-speed automatic is an available option.
The C70 Coupe is all about performance, with the muscular 2.3-litre high pressure turbo providing the excitement, mated to the standard 5-speed manual or available 5-speed automatic. Volvo's Stability & Traction Control (STC) is available with both powertrains. Both engines qualify for Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) status.
Style goes hand-in-hand with substance in the Volvo C70, where standard leather upholstery and trim (in beige or graphite) are executed with a traditional Swedish sense of style. Heated, eight-way power adjustable front seating with adjustable lumbar support set the standard for comfort, while rear seat room - often overlooked in cars in this category - continues to be best in class. Nothing less than a premium audio experience is what C70 buyers have come to expect, and the remarkable SC-816 Premium Sound System with cassette and in-dash CD, 4x60-watt amplifier and 10 Dynaudio speakers is standard in the Convertible LT and Coupe. The SC-901 Premium system, standard in the Convertible HT and available in the other C70s, features three CD in-dash changer, full logic tape, Dolby ProLogic surround sound, 400-watt amplifier and 12 Dynaudio speakers.
Both Coupe and Convertible meet the high expectations for safety equipment expected of Volvo, with front airbags, four 3-point seat belts (with four pre-tensioners in the C70 Convertible and front pre-tensioners in the C70 Coupe), Volvo-designed SIPS side impact protection system with enhanced side airbags for additional head and chest protection, WHIPS whiplash protection system seats, head restraints at all seating positions and the sophisticated ROPS roll-over protection system in the Convertible.
(ROPS employs steel roll-over bars, located out of sight behind the rear seats, which pop up within two-tenths of a second after a sensor detects a 40-degree lateral or 72-degree fore-and-aft change in attitude. Another sensor detects if the car is in free flight and triggers the bars. ROPS also has a reserve power unit which permits it to operate up to five seconds after an interruption in power, should the car's electrical system be compromised during a collision.)
With hallmark performance, safety, comfort and luxury wrapped in the evocative styling that pioneered the Volvo design revolution, the C70 Coupe ($49,995) and C70 Convertible (from $59,595) are a clear declaration that the emotional doesn't have to be compromised in the name of the practical. The C70 models are manufactured in limited quantities in Uddevalla, Sweden, and are covered by a comprehensive consumer protection program, through Volvo's 48-month/80,000 km overall warranty and through the Volvo On-Call 48-month roadside assistance program.
Information:
Lisa Graham
Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
grahaml@mail.volvo.com
(416) 490-5834
Doug Mepham
MacDonald & Co.
doug.mepham@sympatico.ca
(416) 975-1572
