2008 Volvo V70 T6 AWD review

Volvo V70 T6 AWD review:

Backed by 54 years of ongoing refinement and improvement, Volvo Cars is still the global leader in the segment for large estate cars.

Now the all-new Volvo V70 is making its entry onto the market with an innovative combination of luxury and versatility.

"This segment has been our specialty ever since we invented it back in the 1950s. Our competitors can count on us remaining number one in the future too. In the all-new V70, rear passengers and luggage both ride in first class," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp.

The segment for estate cars is growing and the demands on the cars themselves are increasing as more and more sedan owners appreciate the added versatility that this roomier car type offers - without having to compromise on design, comfort or driving dynamics.

"The attitude towards the estate car has undergone a significant change. With greater focus on design and comfort, the all-new V70 is both luxurious and practical, not just for families with growing children but also for all active people with high demands on their cars. In fact, we expect that half of all V70 buyers won`t actually be families with children," explains Fredrik Arp.

Completely new vehicle architecture

By using a completely new vehicle architecture, Volvo`s designers and engineers have gained a number of advantages:

- For the first time ever there is a six-cylinder engine under the bonnet of a Volvo V70, which has a broader than ever engine range, from two sixes (the new 285 hp T6 and the 3.2 which produces 238 hp) to fuel-efficient diesels and the bio-ethanol FlexiFuel model producing 145 hp.

- Front seat comfort has been considerably enhanced, with superb seats and ergonomically designed instruments. This naturally also includes the elegant, super-slim centre console and the world-class audio system.

- Space in the rear seat has grown compared with the current V70. Families with young children now also have access to a world breakthrough: dual built-in child booster cushions that can be adjusted in two stages. The inflatable curtains have been extended by 60 mm, and in combination with the new booster cushions and the strong body side structure this provides more children of different sizes with effective protection in a side impact.

Still a genuine estate car

Despite its injection of comfortable luxury, the all-new V70 still inherits its genes from classics such as the Volvo Duett, Volvo 245 and Volvo 745. Here too Volvo is taking a huge stride forward with a luggage area that has increased in both volume and versatility.

A number of smart new functional details and accessories allow the V70 owner to individually adapt the car to suit his or her specific needs. The rear seat`s 40/20/40 split makes it the most flexible in the segment. Other smart examples include a power tailgate, sliding load floor and a storage compartment under the luggage area floor that locks when the tailgate shuts.

"In the leading estate car, the cargo should naturally ride as comfortably as the passengers do. Every little detail in the luggage compartment and all the accessories have been specially designed to give the correct feeling of luxury without compromising on the smart functionality that is and remains our mark of honour," says Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin.

The rear of the all-new V70 has a more dynamic, more sculpted shape than in today`s model. The eye can even discern a forward-leaning upper tailgate section.

"Using innovative design, we have once and for all put to bed the boxy shape traditionally associated with our estate cars. From the outside, the car has a dynamic stance. But with the help of the smart overlapping tailgate, which takes the tail lamps up with it, the space inside the car is larger than in the previous V70," says Steve Mattin.

Sales target 75,000 cars

The company`s target for the all-new V70 is an average of 75,000 cars a year. About 80 percent of the cars will go to Europe, with the domestic Swedish market being without doubt the largest, accounting for a third of the total volume.

The all-new Volvo V70 is unveiled together with the all-new XC70 at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. Sales will start in August, initially in Scandinavia. The other markets will follow gradually during the rest of 2007.

"Since first-class estate cars are intimately linked with our brand name, it is vital that we retain the initiative. Personally, I am fully convinced that the all-new V70 will attract both established and new buyers. It is the ultimate estate car, more luxurious, comfortable and practical than ever before," says Fredrik Arp.