- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.0T, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
210kW, 400Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 11.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2008)
Volvo V70 T6 AWD
Wasn't long ago that the humble Volvo wagon was the lifeblood of the Swedish manufacturer. These days, however, it's been engulfed by an expansive line-up that includes everything from chic hatchbacks to flash convertibles and big seven-seat 4WD wagons.
But with the arrival of a new-generation V70, the trusty Volvo load-lugger is back in focus. Its maker reckons it has the goods to keep wagon rivals from Alfa, BMW, Benz and Volkswagen on their toes, but the quality of these competitors means this is no mere formality.
What do you get?
Unlike its XC70 soft-roader sibling, the V70 is a single-specification proposition.
Still, as far as single models go, the T6 AWD (to give it its full title) makes a pretty good fist of things. At $67,950, it's priced right in the meat of the segment and is very well equipped, with leather, heated seats, power tailgate, alarm, bi-xenon headlights with washers, premium six-stack CD sound system and 18-inch alloy wheels just some of the standard trinkets.
You can up the spend significantly with options. Our test car had several, including sunroof ($2150), satellite navigation ($3950), blind-spot warning system ($1200) and adaptive cruise control with collision warning ($3950), or enough to leave a $79,200 dent in the finances.
How safe?
The V70 gets everything including six airbags, anti-lock brakes and stability/traction control, but these are only the tip of the iceberg.
The optional collision warning system, for example, uses the radar cruise control to alert the driver to a possible collision and can automatically brake to reduce its severity. We didn't test the latter, but we did find the alert a tad overprotective and able to be confused by turning traffic.
Not so the blind-spot warning system, which flashes lights to show when a car is slipping past.
Another interesting feature is the "personal car communicator", which has LED alerts on the key fob to tell you whether the car is locked or not, had its alarm triggered or if someone's lurking inside.
What's inside?
The old V70 was no sardine can but the new model is even roomier, with a bigger boot as well.
In terms of utility, it's brilliant, with loads of space for adults front and back, plenty of small-item storage and excellent flexibility from the 40/20/40 split-fold back seat, which folds to leave a huge, flat load space. You'll have to live with a space-saver spare, though.
Pampering seats with a wide range of adjustment, not to mention integrated booster seats in the back that can be adjusted to two different heights, mean supreme comfort is available for all sorts of shapes and sizes.
The V70 also rates highly for its simple, classy design, while the materials and assembly are first rate. The plethora of switch gear is somewhat overwhelming at first, but everything is logical and quickly becomes second nature.
Under the bonnet
The mandatory 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol six looks the goods on paper, developing 210 kW of power and a beefy 400 Nm of torque from 1500 rpm.
It's a strong performer, with plenty of low-rev shove and an eager top-end, while all-wheel-drive delivers fuss-free traction off the line. It's admirably couth, too, with a lush six-cylinder snarl when pedalled vigorously.
No issues with the six-speed auto's smoothness, wide array of ratios and considerable smarts, but the V70's considerable 1955-kilogram kerb weight means it ultimately doesn't feel quite as potent as the outputs suggest.
This porkiness also impacts on economy, with our test average of 13.2 L/100 km in combined urban and highway driving a long way behind the official 11.3 L claim.
On the road
The V70 features Volvo's Four-C adjustable suspension, allowing the driver to choose between comfort, sport and advanced modes to tailor the ride and handling.
Comfort delivers a quiet, pampering ride and great long-distance comfort but lazy responses. Advanced goes the other way with tighter body control but is a touch reactive over craggy Australian road surfaces. Sport, meanwhile, offers the best compromise between comfort and control. If that's not enough, you also get a choice of three steering weightings.
Abundant choice or not, though, the V70's dynamics are more competent than remarkable.
No issues in open corners, where it's respectably faithful, balanced and composed, but all that weight leads to a somewhat ponderous feel in tighter going. The steering, too, lacks a real sense of feel and precision.
Verdict
With its sharp value, generous specification, excellent safety, pampering comfort and stunning utility, there are plenty of good reasons to consider the V70 over other premium wagons.
However, there are a couple of snags. Keen drivers will be disappointed that the road manners, despite oodles of technology, trail the best going. The hefty weight also means economy is mediocre, a potentially more serious issue with fuel prices rising into the stratosphere.
It's a pity because without these blemishes the Volvo could have been great. For now, though, it stands as merely very good.