The New Volvo V70 And XC70

01 July 2007

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Volvo V70 And XC70 - They say competition is healthy but is there no stopping Volvo this year as they pull another two models out of the bag for the UK market in order to keep up with the fierce aggressive rivals, to retain the title ‘King of the Estates’.

In fairness, Volvo have done their homework by looking into the lives of previous owners of the V70 and XC70, what they do, why they need their car, so when it came to updating they listened. Just like they did back in the fifties in terms of safety, versatility in their cars, then performance was requested and duly granted in the nineties. Now the 2007 Volvo customers would like some refinement, modern luxury, with real attention to detail. That should, in theory, keep the crown in the Volvo family.

But does it? The V70 starts its life with a price tag of £26,495 for the 2.5T on a SE trim rising to £38,280 for the SE Sport on the T6 AWD geartronic engine. By comparison to other estates on the roads today, Volvo still takes the lead in terms of being one of the most expensive manufacturers, while the XC70 rather rattles the cage further as their price tags stands in at £31,035. But as the order books open ready for September’s delivery, customers have a chance to warrant the extra cost believing, rightly or wrongly, that the any Volvo is worth the extra pennies.

Now to appeal to the customers both models have been given a tad more style via modern looks. Just because this car is workhorse does not mean to say it has to look like one so Volvo have again used the new S80 as their basic design and worked outwards making the V70 slightly larger that not only accommodates a washing machine including packaging, but also gives the rear passenger more room while the XC70 gains a wider track and a greater ride height.

Standard features on both models include a unique 40/20/40 spilt folding rear seat load, adaptive rear lights, folding steel load protection grille which I thought was a dog guard, 3D cargo load system, lockable load floor, a very adaptable grocery bag holder, roof rails for the holiday and 12 volt power outlet in the cargo area to keep the little ones amused - or quite. They also boast a power tailgate with trap sensors, but gathering from my bruises, the boot does not actually stop moving, so be warned.

Having the ability to go rather successfully off -road - the XC70 features a Hill Descent Control, improved ramp angles, AWD with instant traction and a lower front cross member which effectively stops the XC70 from squashing smaller cars.

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