Volvo C30 and C70 Convertible Get Refreshed

pair of Volvo’s more dapper offerings, the compact C30 and the C70 convertible coupe, have been cosmetically reworked for the 2010 model year. Both were introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The C30 gets a squared-off look. “We wanted the 30 to have more attitude,” said Clas Olhag, marketing manager for Volvo. “Sharp edges in front, the larger, more universal size of the grille. Very subtle changes, because we wanted to keep the references to the P1800.” The P1800, introduced in the early 1960s, was one of Volvo’s few outright sporty designs.

Volvo continues to offer a slightly racier version of the C30, dubbed the R-Design, fixed with side skirts, bulkier spoilers front and rear. Mechanical modifications include a lower steering ratio for a 10 percent faster steering response and 30 percent stiffer suspension all around.

Volvo C70 convertible.

As for the retractable-hardtop C70, it gets a softer refresh. The redo tweaks the front and rear ends, with a wedged-shaped nose, new headlamps and, like the C30, a larger, more forceful Volvo badge on the grille.

Mr. Olhag says that both models have “plenty of opportunities” for options, a marketing tool that the company employed when the first C30 was released. “We call it ‘a product of free will,’” he said.