Frankfurt Motor Show 2005 - Volvo

What's the star of the stand?
It has to be the new C70 convertible.

Volvo has ditched the previous pairing of coupe and soft-roofed convertible in favour of one design using an impressive three-piece folding metal roof, developed alongside Pininfarina.

It goes on sale in the UK early next year, and is likely to increase in price a little over today's starting point of £24,883. Pricing is unconfirmed, but expect to pay around £26k for the entry-level model, and more than £30k for the range-topping T5 SE Lux.

From launch, it will be available with two petrol engines – a 2.4-litre with 170bhp and the T5, which offers 220bhp. A diesel engine will also be on offer for the first time – a 180bhp five-cylinder unit – but you'll be waiting until the middle of 2006 before you get a chance to buy one.

It's capable of seating four adults in reasonable comfort with the roof up or down. Luggage space is a generous 400 litres in coupe form. With the roof folded down you can still fit a large suitcase or set of Golf clubs in the boot.

They say
The C70's body is twice as stiff as the outgoing model, which equates to a driving experience on a par with Audi and BMW rivals.

We say
While it's around the same size as the outgoing C70, which was based on the V70, the new car is built on the back of the new V50. That means it's underpinned by the excellent Ford Focus chassis and should be far more entertaining to drive than the model it replaces.

Any gossip?
Volvo is launching an ethanol-powered version of the S40 in Sweden, and is watching the success of the Ford Focus bio-ethanol trial in the UK before committing to plans to put the car into production over here.