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The all new Volvo C70 – Convertible with unique safety solutions

22 September 2005

• Second-generation Volvo C70 with enhanced safety
• Twice as high torsional rigidity as its predecessor
• DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) is standard
• BLIS – Blind Spot Information System
• IDIS – Intelligent Driver Information System
• Security with proper roof and Private Locking
• Convertible with unique safety solutions
• Unique door-mounted inflatable curtain
• More effective roll-over protection

The all new Volvo C70 was developed to be one of the safest convertibles on the market in terms of both preventive and protective safety. A comprehensive system of interacting safety solutions contributes to safer driving. Most are fitted as standard.  And if an accident nonetheless occurs, an integrated protective system with advanced deformation zones, reinforced beams and generously dimensioned airbags is activated. The all new Volvo C70 also has a number of solutions that are unique in the world of open cars.

Even when the first C70 model was launched in 1996, the aim was that it should be among the very safest convertibles available. When the time came to pen the second-generation C70, Volvo decided that it would nonetheless be still safer in every respect.

"A huge challenge, but today we know far more about safety in an open-top car," says Ingrid Skogsmo, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. "We know more about the accident scenarios in which a convertible can be involved and how its protection should be built up. And we’re not talking just about protective safety – it is at least equally important to prevent accidents since a convertible often invites a more enthusiastic driving style."

Twice the torsional rigidity
"The all new Volvo C70 is a delight to drive," says Ingrid Skogsmo. "And since driving pleasure always goes hand in hand with driving safety at Volvo Cars, this also means the car is easy to control – even in unexpected situations."

The all new Volvo C70 has twice the torsional rigidity of its predecessor thanks to an advanced and reinforced body structure. Torsional rigidity contributes to the car’s stable and predictable driving properties. What is more, the design of the chassis, with its broad track and long wheelbase, has a positive effect on driving stability.

• The front track is 1550 mm (29 mm broader than the previous C70 model)
• The rear track is 1560 mm (39 mm broader than the previous C70 model)
• The wheelbase is 2640 mm (24 mm shorter than the previous C70 model)

There is independent suspension all round, with spring struts at the front and a Multilink axle at the rear. The rear suspension offers a certain degree of anti-skid steering effect.

DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) is fitted as standard and helps correct the car if it shows any tendency to skid.

The ABS brakes are very effective – with electronic brake-force distribution at the rear wheels and automatic EBA (Emergency Brake Assistance).

BLIS – Blind Spot Information System
The all new Volvo C70 can be equipped with BLIS – Blind Spot Information System. BLIS helps improve offset rear vision by using a camera in each door mirror to monitor the area behind the car and offset rear.

When another vehicle enters the monitored zone, a lamp comes on in the relevant mirror. The driver receives a clear indication that another vehicle is in the immediate vicinity and can thus stay out of its way. The system reacts to vehicles approaching from behind and also to those in front during overtaking. This information gives the driver increased ability to take the right decision in such situations. Both sides are monitored in the same way.

IDIS – Intelligent Driver Information System
Intelligent Driver Information System – IDIS – was introduced by Volvo Cars in 2003.

IDIS continuously monitors certain functions in the car such as steering wheel movement, the position of the accelerator, turn indicator activation and braking. All this information is processed and at a given level of activity, any information that is not crucial to safety – such as an incoming phone call or an SMS message – is put on hold until activity returns to a safer level. IDIS determines when to activate this delay, for instance during overtaking or braking.

IDIS is standard in all versions of the all new Volvo C70, irrespective of whether or not the car is equipped with an integrated mobile phone.

In the future, IDIS will be included in a more comprehensive information system that may take into account a larger number of in-car factors. The aim is to further reduce the driver’s stress and to aid driving safety.

Safe progress with a proper roof
The all new Volvo C70 has a three-piece retractable hardtop. This format gives the driver the dual benefits of riding open-top and also travelling in the comfort and safety of a well-appointed coupe. What is more, the retractable hardtop reduces the risk of theft.

The rear window is made of real glass and it is far larger than the plastic rear window of the traditional convertible. It offers a much better rear view and also boosts the car’s torsional rigidity when the roof is raised.

Safety in the all new Volvo C70 also comes with the possibility of locking one’s possessions securely. Several of the car’s storage units are lockable and linked to the car’s central locking system for convenient operation via the remote control. There is in addition an entirely new system – Private Locking – whereby certain areas can be locked from the glove compartment using the key. Private Locking is particularly valuable in a convertible that is left unattended with the roof down.

A car without a fixed roof requires different safety solutions
"Since the all new Volvo C70 does not have a fixed roof, we knew we had to find a different way of dealing with the incoming forces from an impact," says Ingrid Skogsmo. "This applies in most collision scenarios – frontal, offset, rear-end or side-impact. And it applies also in the event of the car rolling over."

In a sedan model, incoming collision forces are led in a variety of directions, including up into the roof. This is naturally not possible in a convertible. Instead, the forces must be diverted via other paths into the body structure. An integrated network of beams and reinforcements interacts to help keep the passenger compartment as intact as possible.

The front structure is divided into zones, each with a different task in the deformation sequence. In order to give each zone the appropriate properties, four different types of steel are used.

The engine too contributes to interior safety in the all new Volvo C70. A compact construction and efficient packaging both help create space for deformation in the engine compartment.

The lack of a fixed roof also imposes tougher demands on the doors and B-posts, which have been reinforced in various ways. In a side impact, they work together with the reinforced sills and a comprehensive system of cross-members and bulkheads to absorb the collision forces. The doors are also designed to stay shut in a collision.

Unique door-mounted inflatable curtain
Volvo’s IC – Inflatable Curtain – has a unique design in the all new Volvo C70.

"Since there are no roof beams in which to install the IC, it has instead been fitted into the door," explains Ingrid Skogsmo. "When it is deployed, it opens upwards."

The inflatable curtain helps protect the head even if the side windows are open.

More effective roll-over protection
Without a fixed roof, the demands on the windscreen pillars – the so-called A-posts – are even stricter.

"Each of the A-posts in the all new Volvo C70 is dimensioned to withstand more than twice the car’s weight in the unlikely event that the car rolls over," says Ingrid Skogsmo.

Behind this strength lies an advanced production method known as hydroforming.

Volvo’s ROPS – Rollover Protection System – has been further developed from the previous C70 model, featuring sturdier metal arches and much faster activation.

Even the IC, the inflatable curtain, has been designed to contribute to added protection in a roll-over scenario.

Rear-end impact
The body structure with its controlled deformation zones provides effective protection even in an impact from the rear. The horseshoe-shaped member behind the rear seat and the double steel bulkhead behind the backrest both help reduce the risk of penetration into the passenger compartment. And if the retractable hardtop has been folded down into the boot, it works together with the double bulkhead to absorb rear-end impact forces. What is more, the ROPS arches are also activated in the event of a collision from the rear.

Volvo’s system for avoiding neck injuries – WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) – is one of the most effective on the market and is fitted as standard in the all new Volvo C70.

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