With the same warm and honest approach, the V70 doesn't disguise the fact that it's big; which is unlike most of the new
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| At slow speeds the steering goes finger-tip light to make parking a doddle, while rear parking sensors take the guesswork out of reversing and three-point turns. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
European station wagons. You sit behind the thick-rimmed wheel, all nice and coddled by those wonderful seats; look in the rearview mirror and see the wagon's upright rear pillars far in the distance, standing strong and proud. It feels very wide and large on the road, looking and seeming much larger than its 5-Series-sized dimensions are, but just the same it's an easy vehicle to manage in more confined areas. At slow speeds the steering goes finger-tip light to make parking a doddle, while rear parking sensors (a highly advised option) take the guesswork out of reversing and three-point turns.
The whole 'big' factor works in favour of the V70 in one particular way - it gives a feeling of immense security. WHIPS, SIPS and many other protective systems do their job in practice, which contribute to peace of mind,
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Volvo doesn't just crash test the V70 against a deformable or flat-faced barrier, they roll it, drop it upside down, smash it from every angle, even smash it at high speed against a solid Swedish mountain face! (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)
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and that added to the fact that this Volvo feels like it could shrug off an impact from a Mack truck. And as impossible as it sounds, I have no doubts that it could - Volvo's engineers are dead serious (hmmm... is that the right adverb to use? Ed.) when it comes to the
safety of those who buy their vehicles. They don't just crash test it against a deformable or flat-faced barrier as might be done by standardized government tests; they roll it, drop it upside down, smash it from every angle, even smash it at high speed against a solid Swedish mountain face!
As a part of the 2005 update, Volvo skipped over the engine department in the S60 and V70 - with the exception of the high-performance T5 model. The 2.5T model continues on, featuring variable valve timing and a light-pressure turbocharger to produce 208-horsepower, and 236 lb-ft of torque out of this small inline-five motor. By no means is this a quick machine, particularly since it's down by around 50-hp compared to most of its competitors, but the ratios in the standard five-speed Geartronic automatic are well suited to its broad torque band and low peak of just 1,500 rpm. The only problem with the V70 is that it's a heavy machine, and as such its thirst isn't exactly small. My 12.7 L/100 km (19 mpg) week-long average was a figure I'd expect to see out of an engine double its size.
