2008 Volvo V70 Review

Specifications

All things equal, if there is one thing that Volvo is best at, it’s
building big, safe station wagons. From the Duett of the ‘50s, to the
240 and 740 of the ‘80s and ‘90s, nothing has changed about Volvo’s
forte. And through the brand’s metamorphosis has taken it from brick to
chic in about a decade, starting with the S80, the wagon is still a
pillar on which the brand continues to build on. Thank goodness they
haven’t abandoned it as so many manufacturers have!

I
love a good station wagon. They offer much of the practicality of a
sport utility, without the fuel bills or the loss of driving dynamics.
Sure, they may be just a touch unfashionable, and cast the
unquestionable glow that you’re a family man (or woman), but they seem
to command an air of sensibility rather than one of ostentation. People
might turn their noses upwards at the sight of an SUV and there’s a
great degree of stigma associated with the minivan, but there are no
such associations with a wagon. I like BMW’s 5-Series Touring, and am
also particularly fond of the Audi A6 Avant, but the Volvo V70 just
strikes a chord with me because it seeks to be little more than an
authentic Volvo station wagon, true to its cargo-hauling,
passenger-protecting, unpretentious roots.

Some
of you may know that my daily driver is a ‘98 V70 AWD, the source of my
love for Volvos. And while it’s now ten years and two generations old,
not a whole lot has changed in terms of profile. The shadows that both
cars cast are remarkably similar - long nose, boxy torso and an upright
rear end. It’s when they’re illuminated that the difference is seen;
the emergence and strengthening of the shoulders, the wider, fuller
taillights and the lean-looking nose and egg-crate grille. Call me
partial to Volvos, but I happen to think that the new V70 is a
particularly attractive design, one that actually calls out for you to
look at. If only it rode on rims that were slightly more substantial
than the basic 16-inch “Naos” wheels, which look like cheap winter specials. Big thumbs up go to Volvo for bringing back the broad spaced
vintage Volvo script on the tailgate, mind you.

As a
Volvo driver, there is something immediately familiar about the way the
new V70 feels. In just a decade, Volvo has completely modernized its interiors, and yet, almost everything naturally falls to hand, be it
the climate control switches, the seat adjusters or the radio interface. Perhaps
it’s the familiarity of the cosseting seats, or the first-rate
ergonomics. Maybe it’s ESP. Whatever the case, the V70 feels like home
turf for me, a bringer of calmness and serenity. The world out there
may be a chaotic whirlwind of meetings, deadlines and life’s other
troubles, but at the very least, the seat of a V70 is like being in the
eye of the storm with the ability to confidently steer, accelerate and
brake it.

The V70’s interior is essentially
the came cabin as in the S80, beautifully styled, contemporary and well
built, but this is my first encounter with the darker theme that
includes black dash, seats and steering wheel. It’s one of a few
different ambiances offered, which create a completely different look
and feel from the creme and gloss wood, which looks nothing short of
stunning, but is prone to getting dirty quickly. The blackness of the
interior is interrupted by the metal-look gauges, the trim of the
console and door handles, and what might be the most beautiful wood
I’ve seen in an interior over the past, what, thirty or forty years?
Volvo calls it “Modern”, matte-finish, open pore wood that curves and
flows with the shape of the dash and doors. It makes the console look
as if it’s a piece of traditional Swedish steamed and bonded bentwood.

Historically,
the V70 has been offered with all wheel drive since Volvo’s midsize wagon was renamed V70, but not yet with this generation. So far it’s only available in
one form, with the 235-horsepower, 3.2-liter inline-six, six-speed
automatic and front wheel drive. This means that if you want the grip
of an all wheel drive vehicle immediately, you’ll need to step up to an
XC70, an XC90, or down to the V50 T5. If you’re willing to put your
purchase off till fall, a new, powerful T6 version will become
available, packing 281 horsepower’s worth of punch and the Haldex all
wheel drive system will be standard. Sadly, a manual transmission has
vanished from the V70 for good (mine’s got one), and so has the
cherished five-cylinder engine layout, a staple of the big Volvo wagon
from the days of the first front-drive Volvos, the 850.

Not
too long ago I drove the V70’s slightly more off-road capable sibling,
the XC70. I happened to like it, especially its rugged yet refined look
and detailed touches. But, if there was one item that bothered me
particularly, it was its ride quality. Between the XC70 and this,
there’s no question which I prefer from a driving standpoint. Even
though both testers featured the adaptive Four-C active chassis, it’s
the tuning of the Ohlins dampers and setup of the springs that really make the
difference. Because the V70 doesn’t have to deal with any sort of rough
terrain, it sits lower to the ground, which in turn lowers its center
of gravity. By bringing its belly closer to the earth, the suspension
system has an easier job of keeping body motions tied down, meaning there’s
less pitch and dive when accelerating and braking, and less body roll
in the bends - that’s good!

The next thing
is that the V70’s suspension feels more sorted out. This is the first
time we’ve seen Volvo’s Four-C active chassis at work on a regular,
non-performance V70. And the result? The V70 feels much more confident on the road; it
doesn’t float over crests in the way that the XC70 does, giving it a
more secure feeling. Having less body roll to deal with, the V70 also
has a better ride. Compared to the previous V70, the new model feels
like it’s been honed and polished, showing improvements in steering
feel and accuracy without sacrificing the comfort and relaxed factor
that is a true Volvo strength. It doesn’t feel like an Audi or a BMW to
drive, it conveys a far more laid back character - the
right atmosphere for a daily commute or a long-distance trip to visit
relatives.

With a low loading height,
built-in partitions, a 40/20/40 split folding rear seat and an
electric-powered tailgate, loading up luggage couldn’t be
easier. And, with a front-folding seat, there’s actually enough room to
carry that ten foot pole that you, the Volvo station wagon driver, has
promised not to touch things with (such as SUVs). Strangely, according
to the North American cargo measuring standards, the V70’s cargo area,
with the back seats up, has shrunk to 33.3 cubic feet, down from 37.4.
However, when you look at the European standards, they show an overall
increase. I can’t help but wonder why. For those who tow, or intend on
hauling heavier items, the V70 can also be ordered with a self-leveling
rear suspension.

No review on a Volvo
would be complete without talking about safety, and with the V70 it’s
as strong a point as any. Besides the ultra-stiff frame, stability
control, airbags, the blind spot cameras, plus the option of radar-based
collision mitigation, this test car featured the world’s first
two-phase booster seats with different heights for different sized
toddlers and children. We’ve had Volvos with booster seats before, but
seeing as I’m not ready to start a family of my own yet, I borrowed a
friend of a friend’s seven year old son to see how he liked the seats.
Not only did he find the seats comfortable (more so than his own booster
seat), but he liked the autonomy of being able to buckle himself in.
Mommies and daddies will also like the fact that because the seat
itself is built in; there’s no bulky seat to carry around and there’s
no risk of damaging the soft leather upholstery. For those who have
children that are still in the full, proper car-seat age, the V70
offers LATCH attachments.

One last
improvement that Volvo has made to the new V70 involves its price. It
now starts at $32,465, which is $965 less than the old 2.5T, not to
mention it has more power and more standard equipment. Also, because of
the V70’s unique positioning in the wagon marketplace, it offers much
greater space than its premium-branded rivals, and much more interior
room at a far more reasonable price. At $32k, it’s cheaper than the
equally powerful, but much smaller 328xi wagon. If space is what you
need, you aren’t going to find any better wagon for the money than
this. Its closest premium rival is the Saab 9-5 SportCombi, which
retails at $38,470 with an automatic transmission.

The
V70 is the traditional Volvo wagon, but completely modernized. As such,
the stereotypes of the archetypal Volvo wagon also deserve to be
brought up to date. In years past, the V70 has been shadowed by the
XC70 in sales, and while the new XC70 has been flying off dealer lots,
I have a feeling that the V70 will do well in the months and years to
come. It’s a great station wagon, leaving no stone unturned, and keeps
Volvo’s foundations true to its heart.