Described elsewhere as a station wagon on stilts, Volvo’s XC70 picks up where the last generation left off. Popular in the northeast, northwest and in other cold climate areas, the XC70 is the latest generation in capable on/off road vehicles from that other Swedish automobile manufacturer.

Backstory

Scandinavian sensibilities have always been about form following function. The XC70 continues in a rather buttoned-down, conservative fashion, due in part to its Gothenburg, Sweden, pedigree. But that won’t stop Volvo from laying claim to a slot in the ever-so-hot crossover segment. At the same time, Volvo is claiming “added luxury as well as even greater capabilities for adventure.” The new XC70 is now based on the S80 platform, instead of the smaller S60 platform, which was the basis of the previous-generation model. This has given Volvo designers a larger canvas on which to create their new work.

Aesthetics (3.5 / 5)

The traditional hexagonal shape, long a hallmark of Volvo design, is present in the rear of the XC70’s wayback area. Like a Swedish beauty, this car has hips. It also has innovative design cues that other manufacturers are hesitant to execute in their own design studios. The integrated roof rack that sprouts out of the “A” pillar, continuing to the rear “D” pillar. Bright strips along the lower perimeter of the body give an impression of bold dynamic design, capable of forging a stream (although, most likely, it never will). Finally, the cladding, which has always been the distinguishing mark of the XC model line, has been tastefully, to our eyes, minimized.

The exterior has some shortcomings, particularly in the finer details. At a glance, the overall look is good, but on closer inspection it’s easy to spot some confusing lines in the rear. Between the taillights, tailgate cutout, rear apron, indicators, rear window, and added styling details, there is a bit too much going on and it’s not entirely cohesive. We’re also disappointed with how the taillights resolve at the top. The ends appear simply cut off — as if the designer didn’t have enough time to integrate them properly.

Performance (4 / 5)

Powered by a new 3.2-liter 24-valve inline six-cylinder engine, it’s a departure from turbos found in other recent Volvos. Outputting 235-horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, it is a smooth operator throughout its range.

The new six-speed “Geartronic” automatic transmission allows for do-it-yourselfers to grind through twists and turns, where the XC70 exhibits respectable handling despite the fact that it has a feeling of being “mile-high.” Chalk that up to McPherson struts with asymmetrical coil springs and hydraulic shocks in front, and a multilink rear suspension with coils, hydraulic shocks, and stabilizer bar at the rear. We were curious though, as to the high degree of throttle tip-in required to get things underway. Whether this was due to our vehicle being a pre-production model will have to be determined in the coming months, but suffice it to say, you did have to stand on the accelerator to get it moving.

NVH was very good throughout, allowing for the slightest amount of road noise to seep into the cabin. Mileage to our view (and wallet) is below average at 15 city mpg / 22 highway mpg.

Technology (4 / 5)

The XC70 all-wheel-drive system displayed good grip throughout the range. An electronically controlled clutch distributes power between front and rear wheels seamlessly to where we couldn’t actually feel it activate. Its Instant Traction feature offered traction control while on loose gravel and during starts on the oil-slicked rain-soaked streets of South Florida.
Hill Descent Control (HDC) offered the ability to creep down steep hills at 6-mph. Although hills are hard to find near West Palm Beach, we can attest to its capabilities, having driven on such grades while behind the wheel of the XC70 at the vehicle’s launch in Whitefish, Montana.

Another innovative piece of technology is the XC70’s use of Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB). While our test vehicle was not equipped, we did experience it during the Montana media launch, where it managed to take control from the driver, alerting you to a pending collision while pre-charging the brakes, and if you don’t respond, it actually applies the brakes to increase the following distance of your car versus the one in front that you almost smashed into (or minimize the impact of the crash that you just had). Big brother is most definitely watching.

Cabin (3.5 / 5)

With all the earth tones inside, the interior could be described best as organic in nature. Nicely done wood (or wood-like) trim accents the interior, breaking up the blonde look that is so prevalent throughout (there’s that blonde Swedish beauty thing again).

Ergonomically designed front seats offer full support in virtually every seating position, while the rear bench offers innovative integral two-stage child booster seats in 40-20-40 seating arrangements. These booster seats can accommodate children to nearly 88-pounds.

The quality of the leather used inside was exceptional, from the seating surfaces to the wrapped steering wheel. We wish the plastic used in the interior was the same: It went from excellent in the form of the sweep over the dashboard to toy-like in other interior utilizations. The Sirius Satellite Radio-ready Dynaudio sound system had the ubiquitous iPod hookup and 12 speakers as well as a 650-watt amplifier to make sure all occupants get the full aural effect inside the cabin.

Other interior niceties included a wide rear armrest with integrated cupholders and two headphone controllers in the rear of the center console. Attention to detail was shown by the usage of seatback cutouts, which resulted in more leg and knee room for rear seat passengers. On the other hand, while other manufacturers had several, there was only one front and one rear power port. The same can be said for cupholders: with only a pair in front and another pair in back, it’s somewhat curious design for a vehicle that will definitely see its share of kids.

Bottom line

Volvo had traditionally been the stodgy Scandinavian, to Saab’s sexier younger look. Apparently there is a new Sheriff in charge of the design studios because things are looking better and better with every subsequent model. If the same Sheriff could grab a hold of the mileage gremlins, we would like this third-generation XC70 even more.

MSRP: $36,775.00

Price as tested: $44,065.00

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

    Print This Post