All-new V70 and V70 XC - contenders for "World’s Best Wagon"?

Volvo has unveiled an all-new wagon range featuring advances in safety, environmental care, performance, versatility and comfort that make it a contender for the title of World’s Best Wagon.

Continuing  the current model designations V70 for the two-wheel drive model and V70 XC for the all-wheel-drive, the wagon is designed to enhance Volvo’s position as the leading maker of wagons in the premium segment.

To be released at motor shows in Detroit and Brussels, the V70 and V70 XC will be sold in Australia later this year.

The high-performance turbocharged V70 T5, and the V70 2.4T with a light-pressure turbo, are expected to be released here in May, followed in August by the normally-aspirated V70 20-valve. The Volvo V70 XC, fitted with the same engine as the Volvo V70 2.4T, is scheduled to arrive in November.

The all new Volvo V70 2.4T and V70 T5 will retail from $77,000 - $85,000 respectively, fully equipped. However, as with all other models, Volvo offers GST reduced prices, which will reduce the above prices by approximately $4,000. Prices for the Volvo V70 20-valve and Volvo V70 XC will be determined closer to their on-sale dates.

Meanwhile, the current Volvo V70 range will remain available through most of this year, at prices considerably less than the new models.

Elegant, muscular - and unique
Based on the floorpan of the award-winning Volvo S80 sedan, the V70 and V70 XC are the first Volvos to be designed uniquely as wagons.

Body styling is timelessly elegant yet muscular, inheriting the distinctive full-length "shoulders" of the S80. The vee-shaped bonnet, a feature of Volvos for many years, suggests the V70 has a clear sense of direction.

The interior is roomy and airy, with trim colours dominated by light Scandinavian tones.

Convenient new family-friendly interior features include a shopping bag holder in the luggage compartment, fold-away rear seat table, waste paper basket (all optional), a coat hook within easy reach of the driver, a two-position rear backrest to extend the luggage area and seat belts and cargo net integrated into the rear backrest.

The V70 and V70 XC were developed to in-house standards that match Volvo’s long commitment to safety and exceed many current legal requirements in markets around the world.

Designers followed a holistic approach, ensuring from the start that the many safety features were integrated to work together and that the vehicle’s dynamic performance remains consistent and reliable regardless of road surface or load.

The aim was to ensure the new wagons can withstand all types of accidents. Features of the safety package include Volvo’s new IC side-impact curtain which inflates from the headlining, the WHIPS whiplash protection system, impact-sensitive two-stage front airbags and Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (the last mentioned standard on the T5, optional on the T)

Performance and economy
The V70 and V70 XC take a major step toward Volvo’s goal to reduce fuel consumption by 25 percent over 1995 figures by the year 2008. Their five-cylinder engines achieve cleaner emissions and lower consumption as a result of improved materials and higher exhaust temperatures.

Performance with economy are hallmarks of the V70 T5, its 2.3 litre engine delivering 184 kiloWatts of power at 5200 rpm and 330 Newtonmetres of torque between 2400 rpm and 5200 rpm.

Average fuel consumption for mixed city and highway driving is as low as 9.3 litres per 100 kms.

In the V70 2.4T and V70 XC, the light-pressure 2.4 litre turbo engine provides exceptional driving flexibility. Maximum torque of 285 Newtonmetres is on tap from as low as 1800 rpm and right up to 5000 rpm. Peak power is 147 kiloWatts at 6000 rpm.

Automatic transmissions are standard in both models, upgraded to five-speed units with electronic Geartronic adaptive control, providing the choice of a manual gear shift if preferred. (Technical specifications for the V70 20-valve will be announced closer to the on-sale date.)

Engineers have achieved a significant improvement in the torsional stiffness of the V70 body shell by bonding together panels in critical areas, instead of using spot welding. This stiffness contributes to the wagon’s excellent cornering and steering precision and reduced noise, vibration and harshness.

Cabin noise, often a problem in passenger wagons, also is reduced in the V70 by use of absorbent materials and a specially designed silencer in the external ventilation outlets.

The V70 and V70 XC use innovative technology and design to advance the wagon concept in virtually every aspect - safety, environmental compatibility, driving enjoyment, comfort and versatility.

Bridging the gap between the increasingly diverse needs of the user and a plethora of vehicle choices, more than ever the new Volvo wagon is the quintessential family car.

Click to view the history of the Volvo wagon.