(Updated 6/19/2026) By the late 1990s, Volvo was ready to leave its boxy image behind. The new C70 coupe represented a dramatic shift for a brand long associated with sensible sedans and wagons, introducing sleek styling, using the brand’s turbocharged technology, and offering a level of curb appeal that often left onlookers asking, “That’s a Volvo?” Looking back, the C70 wasn’t just a new model—it was the beginning of Volvo’s design renaissance. Not a great seller back in the day, and somewhat overlooked, but it marked the beginning of a new chapter for the make, regardless.
While I don’t remember much about this C70, I do remember driving it to Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia for a series of events sponsored by the company that handled press cars for the majority of manufacturers. The purpose was to give other journalists seat time in as many different cars as possible. The first event was a scavenger hunt in which you were supposed to switch cars periodically throughout. Somehow, my wife and I were able to claim a Jaguar XK8 convertible in British Racing Green at the beginning of the hunt, and if another journo wanted to take it, he/she was going to have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers. While the Plymouth Prowler we encountered during the event looked tempting, and the driver was more than willing to trade, I didn’t think my wife would enjoy the experience. She was already not really enjoying herself in the Jag.
The next event was wet-road handling instruction utilizing several old Caprice Classics. I thought I did pretty well considering that I had no professional driving experience. The only other part of the weekend I remember was the opportunity to drive a Viper GTS. However, we were not allowed to drive it on the track – we could only drive it in the adjacent residential neighborhood with its 30 MPH speed limit. It’s a lot like snagging a date with the sluttiest girl in school but being informed that she will only let you hold hands. I politely declined the exercise in extreme self-restraint.
As for the C70, this generation never lit up the sales charts and was replaced in 2005. The following C70 was a hardtop convertible “lifestyle” car based on the S40’s Focus-derived platform but cynically badged “70” so Ford Volvo could charge more money for it.
The below review ran on November 23, 1998.
The look of the redesigned C70 hints that Volvo has apparently decided it is time to shed its “boxy” image. Using the curvaceous P1800 coupe of the sixties as inspiration, the designers created a slick coupe with frameless door glass and a steeply raked rear window out of the boxy 70 series that consistently received a “That’s a Volvo?” from onlookers.
While the outside is decidedly sporty, the squarish dash and large four-spoke steering wheel seem out of place on the racy coupe. Otherwise, the cockpit is well designed with large, well-placed gauges and controls. Being the image builder that it is, the C70 is full of comfort and convenience items such as automatic dimming rearview mirror, trip computer, dual-zone climate control, and tilt/telescoping steering wheel. Leather heated seats are one of the few options available. The multi-power front seats are comfortable for long trips but don’t hold you in place when the road gets twisty. Volvo has smartly allowed both seats to slide forward electronically to give passengers access to the tight rear seat. Luggage capacity is above-average for a coupe.
The C70 gets the turbocharged and intercooled 236-horsepower screamer that is also found in the T-5 sedan and V70R wagon. Available with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, this power plant provides enough impetus to push you back hard against your seat when the pedal hits the floor. The 17-inch tires grip the road like claws, and the ride is surprisingly smooth for such a well-handling car. The icing on the cake is the knowledge that personal protection has not been abandoned for style, as Volvo goes to great lengths to preserve its sterling safety reputation.
There are two things preventing the C70 from being the success it should be: the beautiful Mercedes CLK320 and wild BMW M3. Both cars have retail prices within a few dollars of the C70 and are usually at the forefront of people’s minds when seeking a $40,000 coupe. But the C70 is the beginning of Volvo’s design renaissance, as will be demonstrated with the less-angular styling of the small S40 and large S80 sedans.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Type:Two-Door Coupe
Engine:Turbocharged and Intercooled 236-horsepower, 2.4-liter inline five
Transmission:Four-speed automatic
EPA Mileage:20 city/27 highway
Tested Price:$43,820
Note: Another in a series of my reviews that appeared in the online version of African Americans On Wheels, a now defunct automotive magazine that was included as an insert in the Sunday newspapers of major cities.
I enjoyed my 98 C70 coupe and recently sold it to a friend who drives it regularly. Mine was red metallic with the high pressure turbo (HPT) and 5 speed. The only mechanical issue I had was the driver side window regulator failed (apparently a weak spot). It was a great grand tourer, not a 0-60 car.
However, I later leased a base Mustang GT 5-speed in 2010 and that car actually ruined the C70 for me. The C70 creaked and groaned, while the Mustang seemed better put together. I still love the styling of the C70 but really miss the Mustang more.
That copper orange color was almost always the color they used for that car in press shots and it’s the color used in the movie The Saint. It was meant to be a breakout as much as the styling was. I’ve driven the wagons of this generation, though never a T5, and found them pretty fun to drive. That said, the rattly dashboards and downright shitty sounding stereos are no good to me. If the coupe shared these weaknesses, I’d not only rather have an M3 or Mustang (as mentioned above) but a contemporary Eldorado.
“That copper orange color …”
They called it “Saffran Pearl”: Color Code 435.
Interesting review. Despite being somewhat of a “Volvo guy” I never associated this gen C70’s looks with the 1800‘s. But now I see it … thanks for pointing that out!
This car was way more advanced than anything from the 1800s!
(Dumb joke but others must have thought of it too)
Reading and enjoying all of your reviews makes me think that 1998 was peak car, as far as what I like.
I kind of want them all.
I think it would have been difficult to restrain myself from trying out a Viper. I might have made a ‘wrong turn’ in one of those neighbourhood streets.
I wonder if the third and final-generation 2001 Holden Monaro coupe (on which our Pontiac GTO was based) took some styling influence from this C70’s greenhouse. I’ve often thought the resemblance was very strong.
Sharp-looking car. The T5 engine is actually a 2.3L turbo (the base engine is a 2.4L light-pressure turbo). I know this because my father’s 2001 S60 T5 had the 2.3.
I’d had the good fortune to get a Hertz weekend deal on an S70 and my money situation just wasn’t where it needed to be to swing this (“an S70 that looks beautiful?”) . By time it was… the C70 was no more.
“Looking back, the C70 wasn’t just a new model—it was the beginning of Volvo’s design renaissance.”
With this point, I disagree. The first model to feature Volvo’s then “new design language” was apparently the Volvo S40 Mk I, which was released already back in 1995 (see image below; Image: IFCAR / Wikimedia Commons).
The S40 didn’t reach the U.S. until 2000, two years after the S70. However, I would say that the second generation S40 was closer to the spirit of the design renaissance than this one.