Photos: 2006 Volvo C70

The stylish Volvo C70, in a color called Passion Red, works well for cruising with the retractable hardtop down.

The cabin of the C70 is as nicely designed as the exterior, and the front power adjustable seats have wide range of motion.

When the top goes up, it needs extra headspace, as it increases the overall height of the car by half again as much as the normal height.

The six-disc in-dash stereo is easy to use, but unfortunately doesn't play MP3 CDs, nor does it include an auxiliary input.

A remote is included for the navigation system so that passengers can input destinations. Controls for the driver are mounted behind the steering wheel.

The C70 has a five-cylinder turbocharged engine with full torque all the way down to 1,500rpm. The automatic transmission is only a five-speed.

An aggressive-looking front end doesn't translate into a performance machine. Although the C70 can chirp its front wheels easily enough, it's not a particularly fast car.

The C70 shows that Volvo easily steps away from the boxy image its prior models evoke.

The entire top of the car is stashed in the trunk.

The minimalistic controls on the remote mirror those mounted behind the steering wheel. They work surprisingly well.

The navigation screen on the C70 is very poorly placed, getting washed out by glare at almost any time of the day.

The front-wheel-drive C70 suffers from understeer and is generally not a great car for negotiating twisty mountain roads.

The C70's key is also high-tech, using a plastic shaft to turn the ignition and an RFID to identify it to the car as the right key.

There is very little room in the trunk with the top down. A helpful button causes the roof apparatus to lift enough for trunk access.

This new style of retractable hardtop slides the front half of the roof under the back half.

Even with the top up, the C70 is a fine-looking car.

Buttons on the seat shoulders cause the front seats to slide forward, aiding access to the rear seats.

Volvo sees no need to cover up the space behind the stack, instead making a bold statement with this thin panel that hosts stereo and climate controls.

Volvo's stack design is very nice, with unique climate controls. The keypad would be put to better use if the car came with better cabin electronics.

The Dynaudio stereo option gives the C70's 12 speakers an impeccable sound.