One new feature is that the rear seat can be locked in two different positions in order to provide a few extra centimetres of luggage space when necessary. One position is slightly reclined for optimum comfort, the other upright to provide a few extra centimetres of luggage space.
Other interior touches include a shopping bag holder hidden beneath the luggage compartment floor when not in use, a optional rear-seat table that fits beneath the rear centre seat, a waste paper basket in the rear, and a coat hanger on the side of the front passenger head restraint near the driver.
Volvo also believes that new V70 "is most probably the safest estate car on the market today." It features the same safety design and all the safety systems that were introduced in the S80, in active and passive safety alike, which includes:
- DSTC is the system that keeps the car on the road even in very slippery conditions.
- The WHIPS whiplash protection system, which restrains the upper body and head in a gentle, balanced fashion in a rear-end impact, thus reducing the risk of whiplash injury.
- Also standard is Volvo Cars' Inflatable Curtain, which is a side-impact curtain that inflates instantaneously to catch the occupant's head before it hits the inside of the car. IC protects occupants in the front and rear seats alike.
- The Dual Stage Airbag is new to Volvo and is a further refinement of the interplay between safety belt and airbag. A sensor registers the severity of an impact and adapts the airbag inflation accordingly - at the same time as co-ordinating it with the safety belt.