Volvo C70 Interior & Trim

johnh7

Ok - so I just ordered my C70 for delivery in perhaps 3-4 months. I still have time to choose my colors. I'm thinking black on black, but I'm wondering if the Cream Calcite might look better with the black exterior since there is more of a variety of color within the context of the total interior.

Personally I'd go for the silver/black combination; that is, if every other car here in the east coast of the US wasn't silver, but

Obviously it would be nice if these were in the showrooms, but they aren't. The only one I've checked out up close is red - very nice, but I've been driving a tomato red A4 for a few years and need a change.

Thks in advance for any help if you've seen the Calcite on a black C70 and have a point of view.

jeepwmnz

Hi: I have a cream calcite interior on my black C70 that I've had for about 3 weeks now. I love it. I purchased the Volvo interior leather cleaner because I anticipate that it will get dirty driving with the top down. I myself wouldn't go with the black interior; too hot in the summer! Anyway, the cream looks pretty fine!! Good luck; trust me, the wait is well worth it!

johnh7

Thks

I think I'm going in that direction. Volvo might have made it an easier decision if they offered a tan or caramel option or alternatively improved their website so you could actually get a better sense of how the color combinations really look. It's hard with no cars in the showroom. I will get a look at a gold/cream car next week that's coming in but I'm not sure I'll get a feel from that combo.

I'm not too worried about the cleaning part since it's just so easy to flip the top up, but I was wondering whether the black/cream contrast was too sharp. You obviously like it. I probably will as well.

asja

Color is a personal thing, but I think the Calcite is too white. It's not a practical color for me, so I order the black interior. Plus I think the black interior will make the aluminum trim pop out. I ordered magic blue so it wont be completely black. The demo I drove is magic blue/calcite, and it does look nice, just too white for me.

I like the red also, just too red, and the silver, well, everyone seems to drive silver. So I was tossing up black, blue, and gray, and decided on blue.

kyfdx

I like contrast between the exterior and interior..

I think the most striking combinations have some shade of red or natural brown for the interior color... Not sure if Volvo offers those, though...

asja

I probably would have ordered the natural leather Volvo offers in other models, but it's not yet available in the C70. But the current choice is black or white, not really much choice.

johnh7

I actually got to see a few C70's because they had some sort of event going on here and brought a few cars in. I decided to go with the flextech. Just seems like it will wear a lot better and the quartz is what I wanted with the black exterior. The cream is very light and there's a lot of it.

Agree with those who say the premium sound is worth the money. The salesman almost blew me out of my seat.

yankees338

I know this topic has been inactive for awhile but....

I personally like lighter colors in a convertible. Convertibles seem like something that people buy for the summer and the sunny weather. To me, that just makes a lighter color more appealing. A gray/black color might be nice and more practical, but it doesn't really seem as exciting or vibrant in the bright summer sun as a lighter tan/cream color would.

cricket4

I got a dark color interior (off black, as dark as it gets)because I thought it would go better with my black exterior. I think it would be nice if Volvo had the same sort of specially treated leather that BMW now has which reflects light (prevents absorption, I guess) and, thus, keeps the interior at least 10 degrees cooler...

johnh7

I did the black with black. Taste is personal, but I thought it was much more sophisticated and I think the darker interior is more consistent with the Volvo dash and console design. Anyway - my ship leaves Sweeden today.

cricket4

I agree and that is also a reason that I picked the black on black. I thought that it would make the brushed aluminum "pop"... How exciting! Hope you enjoy your new whip. Wish I could track mine... it's still not showing on the track website. But your timeline gives me a point of comparison. (You earlier said that your expected delivery is a couple of weeks earlier than mine so maybe I'll be able to track in a week or so.)

blamb3

I agree with you on the light interiors on the convertibles. I got the flint grey with the quartz interior(very light grey) it looks great, contrasts nicely with the exterior, and shouldn't get super hot when the tops down - though this time a year in Wi. the heated seats are getting more of a workout than the top. You seem like a smart young adult, convince your Dad to buy this car and I guarantee that he'll be thanking you - this is an awesome vehicle.

johnh7

I think the arrival dates are guesstimates - not scientific. The dealer has given me different dates each time I've asked.

Anyway - the ship is due in NY on 11/28. It's a 14 day voyage. Don't know about clearing customs and actually getting the car on the lot.

tsk1

The amount of time in customs and USDA tends to run from 2-5 days. There are examples with full inspections of selected vehicles that they are held up to 14 days. They then sit in the car lanes until the car carriers arrive. dependent on routing this can take a few days. That said statistically the volvo dealer delivery date estimate is the most probable date. Our vessel arrived at port one day earlier than originally scheduled and we picked it up at the dealer on the originally estimated delivery date (Nov 7). Great car but if you have heard about the 'barking dog' syndrome, it does still exist with the 2007's.

yankees338

Thanks for all the input. I do agree with the point about going along with the interior. One thing I don't love about this car is the interior. I've always liked the luxurious wood interiors as opposed to the more simplistic design of something like the C70, but it's well executed enough in the C70 to gain my interest.

And as far as convincing my dad...I wish it were easier to do so. I think this is the right car for him, but anytime a nice convertible is available I think it's right for him. This time though, it's more legitimate. He always finds a problem with everything, but I think the practicality of the hardtop with this is definitely gonna help my cause. Also, thanks for calling me a "smart young adult". At least someone thinks so This is definitely a better response than I got the first time I posted on the forums when I was around 13. Thanks!

erisaman

Well young sir - if you like Celestial Blue and favour luxury wood effect - feast your eyes on both, via the pics of Lemenn's C70, as featured in the previous thread 'Volvo C70 Convertible 2006 +'. Log onto page 46 and check out message #906 - and have dad with you to check out the wood effect and particularly the steering wheel - oh, and it's awesome to the touch too!

Sadly - for you - it appears that the combo is not available Stateside, so maybe I shouldn't whet your appetite and now snatch your meal away.

Good luck - and remember, your day will come when it'll be you be choosing the family wheels!

yankees338

Haha thanks! I have seen those pics though. I'm not sure I love the wood with this particular vehicle's interior, though the more I see the pics the more I've been getting used to it. I'll have to see how it would work with the lighter interior and the Celestial blue, as I believe that's what we would go with (but we still have a ways to go before we get to make those decisions ). I believe the wood is available as a dealer installed option...if not, we could always get it done from an after-market place.

Fortunately for me though, I'll be getting my permit this March :P Should he get this car by then or even thereafter, I'll have the priveledge of driving it too! However, after speaking with my dad, it seems we'll be replacing my mother's 2001 MDX before his '99 TL (yes, they like Acuras). I think the TL is eventually gonna be mine anwyway, though I'd prefer something a little sportier. Either way, I'll be happy to be driving on my own and just to have some new cars in the garage, so I look forward to these next few years!

redbuzz

We also ordered the flint gray with quartz interior. At first we were going to get celestial blue with calcite cream but I preferred the quartz interior because several elements of the interior are already that color or coordinated with it and I thought it would have a more uniform effect. I chose the flint gray exterior because I've seen an Audi A4 ragtop with a similar color scheme that looks really classy. Fortunately my wife indulged me on the choice of colors - remarkable since she has her own opinions based on years in the garment industry. I got to see a C70 like we ordered in poor lighting conditions, so it was kind of hard to be sure but I think it will look terrific. Have you posted any picures of yours?

musicman2

Does anyone know where I can purchase the full interior wood trim kit?

redbuzz

You can get it directly from Volvo. See details in this link:

http://www.volvocars.us/models/c70/Accessories.htm

volvomax

It is the same kit that is in the S40 2.4i, so look at one of those before you buy it.
It is not real wood sadly.

musicman2

I am actually looking for an aftermarket wood trim kit for a 2000 C70. Does anyone know where I can find a decent one? Volvo seems not to sell the entire kit.

miamc

I love my 1998 C70, but I will admit that it isn't perfect. With proper maintenance it keeps running well, and I've been a stickler about repairing even non-critical problems. But this one has my mechanic stumped, and now it's escalated:

First the passenger seat froze in a forward position. My mechanic (an independent Volvo guy) hooked it up to his computer and moved it back, but couldn't get the onboard seat computer to work. He didn't have a replacement for that side (only a driver side one), and he didn't want to order one without knowing if it would fix it. Fair enough. I mostly drive alone anyway. So it's been frozen for about two years now.

Yesterday the driver side seat adjuster stopped working. I think it's a different problem because if I fold the seat forward the motor moves it forward like it should. But the adjustment and memory buttons won't work. And when I fold it back, it does not move backward like it should. So I daren't lean it forward at all because eventually it'll run all the way up and there won't be room for me to sit behind the wheel. It would be better if it were completely frozen like the passenger seat!

In any case, does anyone have any experience with or sage advice about seat computer and motor problems. And can anyone explain why on earth they'd build the car so that you can't move the seats without power?

Mia

tmart

Have had the same problem with the drivers seat on my 99. Sounds like the bracket that holds a little spring that controls the seat micro switch broke. If you're lucky you may see the spring on the rear floor, if so, keep it and take it to the dealer. It's about a half inch long. Yhe micro switch is located on the bottom of the seat back above where it pivots. If you can find it, push it towards the front of the car and all controls should work, for that seat. It is a two handed operation!! This may also be the problem with the passenger side. Cost to fix the bracket at the Volvo dealer was around $50.

larry466

I have an 07 C70 and the seats are driving me crazy, they constantly lose their memory and besides that when I press the button at the top of the seat to move it forward it does all kinds of strange things like adjusting the tilt, not doing anything, and sometimes moves it forward but won't move it back. Has anyone else had this problem,what suggestions do you have.

redbuzz

I have had problems with the key memory as well as the settings on the seats. Often it moves the right hand mirror to the extreme outboard position and keeps pushing it, making a disturbing thumping noise that can't be good. Sometimes it won't stop until I use the mirror control to turn it back. I have't had the car that long but I intend to bring it to the dealer's attention when I take it in for its first service. I also noticed that the key memory only works when the driver's door is open. It stops adjusting when the driver door is shut so I have to stand there waiting for it to finish before I get in and shut the door! I am hoping that there is a software fix that the dealer can take care of.

redbuzz

I haven't gotten the memory function to work properly since I got the car. neither the key memory nor the onboard memory works right all the time. The dealer said that it wasn't set properly at the factory, but even after they reset it, it's still quirky. Anyone had similar issues?

jeckles

My wife also has trouble with the memory function, but I haven't checked out what is happening...

There are two memories: one for the keys and one controlled by the buttons.

The keys set the seat and mirrors based on how they were set last time for that key regardless of the memory settings in the seat buttons. So don't get your keys mixed up with your spouse.

When I borrow my wife's key, I need to press one of the seat buttons to change the seat and mirror. Then the next day when she uses her key, she needs to use the seat button too to reset things.

However if we don't trade keys, the seats automatically adjust when I open the door using my key...

Hope this make sense

redbuzz

I'm having trouble with both the key memory and the seat button memory. Sometimes the key memory will adjust the seat and left hand mirror but not the right hand mirror. The seat button sometimes will turn the right hand mirror all the way out or all the way in and keep trying to go further making a distressing clunking rhythm until I touch the right mirror button and adjust it. The same thing has happened with the key memory a couple of times. I unlock the car and go to the trunk to put something in and the next thing I hear is the right hand mirror clunking. My wife and I never switch keys. She has never complained about the memory settings but I'm not sure that she understands what they're supposed to do. By the way...the adjustment stops cold if I turn the key before it is finished with the adjustment and doesn't resume when the car starts. I don't know if that's normal but it seems like it takes a long time to adjust and I'm always eager to get going. I still love the car!!!

mon2rey

We recently purchased a 2007 C70 (and love it). Should the heated seats reset to "off" when the key is taken out? Ours seem to turn off when the key is out but turn back on when we turn on the ignition the next time. Do we have to make sure we turn off the heat before getting out of the car?

redbuzz

My '07 C70 also remembers the last setting for heat in the seats which I think is a desirable feature. A friend of mine has a V50 (same dashboard and controls) that operates similarly. By the way, my mirror memory issues continue. It's been to the dealer twice with no success. This last time, they tried to convince me that I misunderstood the owner's manual because it is written in "Swenglish"! They claim to have updated the software for the passenger door but it's still a crap shoot whether the mirror will work right. It amazing what you'll put up with when you're in love! I still get zillions of complements on my beautiful car.

10scoachrick

Really are enjoying our '08 C70 but are experiencing some of the above-mentioned seat gremlins plus others. One key fob has no effect on the seats or mirrors(save the one time it worked AT THE DEALERSHIP!!!) and the driver seat will frequently move fully forward and seat-back will move fully forward when the driver door is opened(after turning off ignition and removing key). The memory button on the seat will return the seat to proper setting but the key fob has no effect. Even when the seat doesn't actually move forward, occasionally the seat will 'flinch' as though it is headed to another setting. Our large(Nalley) dealer in Atlanta has not been able to solve this de-lemon by upgrading software or contacting N.A. headquarters. They say that N.A. has 'opened a file' regarding this problem in case someone finds a solution.

Does anyone have an update or any good news regarding these seat gremlins? Fortunately, the seat doesn't move while the car is in motion!!! but who knows what might be next!!! Really like the car otherwise!!!

redbuzz

My problem was finally resolved (sorta) by the dealer after I raised the issue directly with Volvo Customer Service in Rockleigh, NJ. They had the car for three days while they swapped out the entire guts of the passenger side mirror and reinstalled and/or updated the software. Our problem seemed to be independent of the smartkey - the driver's seat and the passenger side mirror seemed to have two or three favorite positions that didn't correspond with any of the three memory settings we had programmed. It sounds like your problems may include a bad smartkey. The last day that our dealer was holding the car they were waiting for a Volvo rep to verify that it had been properly fixed, but he was delayed with another issue at another dealer so they crossed their fingers and let me take the car. On one occasion the seat went to the correct position but the passenger side mirror did not but I had pressed the unlock button when the car was already unlocked. I'm not sure if that qualifies as a failure but otherwise it has functioned OK. The dealer says that Volvo has only had one other C70 worldwide with the same issue. I recommend calling Volvo Customer Service. It really made the dealer try harder. I love the car. Otherwise I wouldn't have gone to so much trouble! Good luck!

10scoachrick

Thanks for the info. Drove the car again tonight(actually DW's car) and the seat went to the fully forward and upright position BOTH times I tried to exit the auto. We are packing for a 1000 mile move and I'm not sure if I'll get back to our Atlanta dealer. Maybe the folks in Austin will have better luck!

BTW, four of our five Volvos have had the memory seat function and the new C70 is the only one to have these problems.

johnnyb756

Hi all, newbie JohnnyB here. We are sold on the C70 and will be submitting our order next week for an '09 for European Delivery. We are having problems choosing the interior seat color. We love the look of the Calcite Cream (so does our dealer as most all he has in stock has that color), however, we are concerned about trying to keep it clean.

Any owners of C70s with the Calcite Cream seats want to comment on how difficult they are to keep clean? How about wear?

Anybody have the upgraded "Sovereign Hide" soft leather option? I have not seen any and am wondering if they are worth the extra grand.

Thanks all for any help with my questions.

JohnnyB - Texas Hill Country

irbrenda1948

I just got my '08 C70 last week...celestial blue/calcite cream. I have every option except BLIS which I really wanted only for the retractable mirrors. Maybe I should have waited for an 09 but I just had to have it NOW! The calcite cream color is very very light and I'm concerned about wearing blue denim on those seats. I actually bought seat covers but I hate using them as they are truly ugly..I haven't put them on yet.

I did see the sovereign hide in a dark brown color with ice white exterior 2 weeks before I bought mine and I was on the fence as to whether or not I liked the way it looked. It seemed to have some obvious stitching all around the seats that I did not care for at all. I saw no difference in the seats but the leather is probably softer and I'm not sure that's so good either.

I have an '06 VW Touareg right now with the top leather, nappa, which is beautiful and soft but VW discontinued it in the newer Touaregs. Could be a price issue or a wear issue. The leather is definitely not as strong as the regular cricket leather seats. People have complained of the seams coming apart and the leather wearing badly in spots. I had an '04 Touareg with the same nappa leather that actually wore so thin it got a hole at 8k miles, and that was on the SIDE of the seat, not even the actual seating area. VW was going to replace the seat but they bought back my car for other reasons. I do notice alot of denim rubbing off on the seats and my seats are a Teak color, kind of like saddle. I love them but I don't think I'd pay an extra grand for upgrading anymore.

I'm fanatical about keeping my seats clean so I try to clean them on a weekly basis when I wash my cars.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

henkbw

Hi JohnnyB,

I own a 2007 C70 (Magic Blue, Calcite Cream interior). My experience is that the seats collect dust/sand particles and thus get 'dirty'. I've tried several brands of cleaners but no one worked fine. I ended up using IKEA's leather cleaning set, called 'ABSORB', for cleaning and conditioning. Works perfectly!!

About the wear: After 45,000 km/28,000 mls I think it's average, only the driver seat has a small sign of wear: the sit part of the seat has lost it's print and has become flat.

BTW
a) I almost always wear jeans.
b) I (still) think that calcite cream is the nicest interior color they have for the C70

Good luck

scolafx

Similar problem just reported to dealer with no resolution offered. 2 key fobs (his and hers) with 2 different settings. Ocassionally "his" setting reverts to "hers" and vise versa. She uses key fob to unlock car, then opens door and the seat moves to "his" setting. He uses his key fob to unlock car, then opens door and seat moves to "her" setting.
Will try 'rebooting" by disconnecting battery for a while then reconnect and start from the beginning??
P.S. she absolutely loves the car as well (except for this nightmare).

scolafx

Sorry, forgot to mention that our car is a 2008 XC70 but shows the same type of problems.

gsiman

I am new to this. Just got a C70 convetable. Is the spare tire supposed to be in a "bag" in the trunk and no cover on top of it. How are you supposed to use the trunk,the stuf you put in falls along the sides of the spare.
Is the backseat armrest supposed to come out of the car when you pull it down.
Is my dealer giving me the runaround.
Thanks for any help

redbuzz

Yes, the spare is in a bag and yes, it takes up a lot of the trunk. That's why the spare is optional. If you don't order the spare, you get an electric pump and goop that will temporarily fix your flat tire but leave you more room for storage. Such are the dilemmas of the convertible driver!

The "armrest" in the back seat is not really intended to be anything but a removable panel to allow you to transport long items such as skis. You can even get an accessory bag to cover the portion that ends up in the interior of the car.

tmart

Interesting! On my 99, the "bag" is made into the opening into the trunk. Not an optional item, and the spare is under the floor of the trunk so it doesn't interfere with stuff in the trunk. Seems like Volvo designers went backward instead of forward!

tomkat73

johnnyb756 - when (and where) are you picking up your new C70? 2008 or 2009? We're picking up an 'in-stock' 08 in GOT on Labor Day. Metallic Silver w/ Off Black Leather. Maybe we could hook up at the FDC if our Delivery dates coincide?

That said - this C70 is replacing my 1991 Murano Red Acura Legend Coupe...with "off white" cream leather interior (purchased used in 1995 with 60K). I've put over 100K on it since then...and leather interior looks great (always garaged) with Meguiar's Leather treatment products. There's a spot on the drivers seat that has worn through the leather from the seat belt..but completely understandable after 17 years and 170K miles. Easily 'patched' if we were gonna keep the Legend (TOMKAT 2 - original TOMKAT was a Black on Black 1977 Toyota Celica Liftback Special Edition).

Before we put down our $2K deposit on the 'in-stock' Silver/Off Black C70...we took a peek at a Celestial Blue/Calcite Cream C70 for another customer...just happened to be in our OSD dealer's 'back lot' before delivery. Absolutely gorgeous and a definite upgrade from the Premium Package's usual Leather interior. This combination would have been our first choice of 2009 color combination if an 'in-stock' 08 (w/ 6 spd manual) wasn't available.

In late April-early May (when we made our deposit)...there were 2 Celestial Blue/Calcite Cream 'cancelled order' 08's available - but these had automatic transmissions (we have a OSD 2005 V50 T5 AWD with AT) and were 'snapped up' by other OSD buyers before we could make a deposit. We were pleasantly surprised a few days later when our dealer's OSD rep told us that there were a few "mislabeled" 6 spd manual 08's available - so that was the route we took.

IMHO - you'll be very happy with the look, feel and durability of the Calcite Cream Leather interior of your C70...as long as you garage the car - and care/clean and treat the leather interior regularly.

Ping me back if you're gonna be in GOT when we are. My wife is Swedish...and knows the country and people very well. In fact - we're going over a cousin's weddings. Scandanavian weddings must be experienced to be believed! Tomkat73

johnnyb756

Tomkat73 - thanks for the post. Well, after lots of research, including seeing a car with the "soft" leather option, we decided to go for it. We really like the look and feel of the Sovereign Hide soft leather. We will be getting an '09 model using OSD program. We are scheduled for delivery on 09/25, so guess we will miss you guys over there. Would have been fun though.

In case of interest, the following is what we chose:

Auto
Vanilla Pearl paint
Cacao Sovereign Hide leather w/ off black trim
Premium package
Climate package
Bi-Xenon headlights
Convenience package
Portable Garmin navigation
Sirius radio
BLIS w/power folding mirrors

We are looking forward to getting the car and taking the trip. Plan to be there 5 days including a short Volvo 3-day tour and some "free lancing" for a couple of days somewhere around the coast. If you guys have any "must see" suggestions, would appreciate hearing from you.

Stay safe and enjoy your new wheels. BTW, we traded our '06 Acura TL for the C70, our first Volvo.

Regards,

JohnnyB756

tomkat73

Johnnyb756 - sorry we'll miss each other. You might be in for a real treat with an peek at fall colors in Southern Sweden in late Sept.

We're not all that familiar with the Gothenburg (Goteberg) area - but check out this link to Goteberg infor from another forum I belong to:

http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=21844&page=5

Your new ride sounds gorgeous...and I'm jealous that you ordered Bi-Xenon headlights. We have these in our 2005 V50 T5 AWD (replaced our 1994 Acura Integra LS Coupe) and I don't know how we lived without 'em here in the dark and damp PNW.

That said - our 2008 C70 was an 'in-stock' model - and Bi-Xenon evidently is a 'special order' option (go figure). I did have to 're-aim' my V50 Bi-Xenon's when it got here. Aimed way too low for safety. I found instructions on how to do this on the Swedespeed forum. My Volvo dealer kept telling me there were 'in spec'.

Since we're gonna be in Goteberg before you leave - I'll check in to this forum (or you can pmail me) when we get back for the must see/do 'stuff' in/around Goteberg.

Looks like you've got the Nav system (have heard that Garmin system is better for Europe than the Telenav 'stuff' I use in the US. Ask to 'borrow' the European CD's from the FDC for your trip. TC

johnnyb756

Tomcat, thanks so much for the info and the link to Swedespeed. The info there will be very useful. I will check for any posts before our departure on 09/23 in case you send anything.

Thanks again, and enjoy your trip!

JohnnyB

irbrenda1948

I have a new 08 with every option except BLIS, and I ordered the aluminum trim. I did not want the nordic oak. Is there supposed to be aluminum trim on the steering wheel and the gear shift knob? Some photos have it, some don't. I have the calcite cream interior.

lmccown

I have a 2000 c70. The passenger front seat has come loose on the left side and from what I can see it looks like a bar that has to be lined up. Where can you get a blow up of the seat so I can see how to fix it?