Volvo V70 2.4

...a few years ago the Volvo line-up could easily be understood by letters and numbers - small(ish) 40, medium-size 70, large 90. S in front meant saloon (or sedan in the USA); V signified 'station wagon' or, in the UK, the more sophisticated-sounding 'estate car'.

Volvo still differentiates its models this way but you can no longer take it for granted that if you like the look of one of the company's saloons, you can swoop in to the ...
...pine for the old one, Volvo can accommodate you: the previous square-rigged model, now dubbed the Classic, continues for a while.

It's said that Volvo's British-born design director Peter Horbury once penned a vehicle that combined a Jaguar E-type front with a Ford Transit rear. Luckily for estate car buyers, the new V70 is no such horror. Certainly the tail is squared off but if you want an estate don't you want load-lugging ability? ... more

Im not normally a big fan of big cars. Specialy not Volvos, but I actually quite like this car. For aeons it was a policy as sound as the Bank of England: Volvos are offered in both saloon and estate forms. No argument. Not any longer.

Ah, life was once so simple. Only a few years ago the Volvo line-up could easily be understood by letters and numbers - small(ish) 40, medium-size 70, large 90. S in front meant saloon (or sedan in the USA); V signified 'station wagon' or, in the UK, the more sophisticated-sounding 'estate car'.

Volvo still differentiates its models this way but you can no longer take it for granted that if you like the look of one of the company's saloons, you can swoop in to the nearest dealership and order a matching estate. Or vice-versa. As they so often say in advertisements these days, 'terms and conditions apply'.

Take the latest V70. It may have more than a passing resemblance to the flagship S80 saloon and there are a fair number of bits that are directly interchangeable. However, it's some 110mm shorter and 30mm narrower overall on a wheelbase shrunk also by 30mm. Not a lot of difference then, but enough to drop their biggest estate one class size by Volvo's measurements. Prices start at £22,260, some £300 more than the outgoing model.

If you fancy this one as a saloon, forget it. Either be prepared to migrate upwards to the S80 or down to an S40. No? Well, perhaps you'll sit tight and await the more sporting, saloon-only S60 scheduled to arrive later. Size-wise, it'll come between the 40 and 70. Alternatively, if the new V70 suddenly makes you pine for the old one, Volvo can accommodate you: the previous square-rigged model, now dubbed the Classic, continues for a while.

It's said that Volvo's British-born design director Peter Horbury once penned a vehicle that combined a Jaguar E-type front with a Ford Transit rear. Luckily for estate car buyers, the new V70 is no such horror. Certainly the tail is squared off but if you want an estate don't you want load-lugging ability? And you get it, with Volvo claiming a rear-seats-down capacity of 1641 litres in a boot that is longer, wider and taller than that of the old V90, for so long the king of the Volvo estate castle.

Style has not been sacrificed at the altar of practicality. Where the old V70 was all sharp angles and boxy looks, the new one is curvy all over. Designer Horbury has cleverly decreased the amount the side glass curves from front to rear, for maximum style at the driving end and maximum carrying ability at the business end, distinguished by Volvo's now-usual pillars of tail lights.

Inside, funnily enough, sharp angles make a comeback. Volvo cabins have become more rounded-off in recent years but this one heralds the return of 90-degree-angled instrument and ventilation grille surrounds and is arguably even more stylish than the excellent S80's. You could directly swap the centre console with the S80 but everything else in the V70 differs in the detail if not general layout. The Swedes earn additional points for continuing to offer light interior colours as alternatives to the off-black shades so beloved by German designers.

Clever detailing, not all of it Volvo-original, abounds. Balti-loving Brummie designers may have been first to put a take-away bag hook in a (Land Rover Discovery) centre console but there's no harm in Volvo lifting the idea and suggesting it's also ideal for a handbag. And, of course, theirs folds away. Then there's the two-position rear seat backrest to boost luggage space. Plus Volvo exclusives such as an under-floor shopping bag holder, an (optional) airline-style centre table for rear seat passengers, a plastic rubbish bag holder in the centre console and a hook in the front passenger seat headrest so the driver can grab his jacket without leaving his seat. Nifty.

Safety? Take top-spec for granted, this is a new Volvo, after all. From previous models you get SIPS side impact protection
, WHIPS whiplash protection, an inflatable curtain of head-level side airbags and the DSTC anti-skid system. With the new V70 come dual-stage airbag inflation determined by impact severity and Isofix mountings for the optional rear-facing child seat to ensure correct fitting every time you install Junior.

Volvo has revised its engine line-up in recent years and offers five five-cylinder motors for the latest V70. A light pressure turbocharged 2.4-litre 200bhp engine should be popular while the flagship sporting T5 model gets a mighty 2.3-litre fully turbocharged powerplant punching out 250bhp. Conventional 140bhp and 170bhp petrol engines are also available along with a 140bhp, 2.5-litre turbodiesel. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard. You can also order a conventional five-speed automatic or the S80's Geartronic autobox which offers the choice of full automatic or clutchless manual driving.

As ever, the model line-up is vast. S and SE trim levels are an alternative to 'base' on most models and there's a long list of factory-fitted options and dealer-installed accessories. If you eyes glaze over at brochures that look like computer program code, consider the various option packs that group popular options together and make the choosing easier.
Tougher-looking and taller four-wheel-drive XC Cross Country versions are also available. Shorter, wider and higher than its predecessor, the new V70 feels more spacious inside. The new body is also stronger and stiffer so the car feels more solid to drive and does a better job of absorbing bumps while responding more sharply than its predecessor. Clearly, the days of Volvos being on sale for decades are over. Though an excellent car, the previous V70 was starting to look just a little dated.

To its well-established reputation for estates and safety, the new V70 shows that Volvo has undoubtedly added style. 

...less