With 2008 comes a newly designed Volvo V70, and the passing of an era. Gone are the days of boxy, homely Volvos reminiscent of 20+ years in manufacturing. With the updated styling in this year’s model, Volvo has made complete its transformation into a sleek-lined car company, with the DNA of styling running through every car in its lineup.
While the 5-door wagon will never be confused with a true sport-wagon like the Mercedes-Benz AMG E-Class, or even Audi’s RS6 Avante, this wagon holds its own for blending every-day practicality while possibly looking better than any other $32,000 wagon out there (base-price). When adding in Volvo’s renown safety record, and forward-thinking features, you’re getting class, elegance, functionality, and common-sense… And did I mention looks?
As a big fan of Volvos, I was excited to see how this compared with other cars in the lineup. I found it had a much lower ride-height than I expected, and when parked next to a XC70, the differences were immediately obvious. The XC70 was a touch longer in the trunk space, and noticeably taller in ground clearance. The V70 also lacked the rough-and-tough body panels that give the XC70 that off-road wagon appeal. But with these differences, the V70 made opportunity. Rather than being the aggressive wagon for the outdoor crew, it was the more city-friendly wagon for the family crew.
My wagon gets a stated 16-24 mpg. Not fantastic for a modern car with 235 hp, yet the weight of a wagon is subtle, but existing. Driving the car I never really felt the weight as an issue, and it performed perfectly well whether cornering or accelerating. Because of its low ride height, it felt more like a sports car than an SUV on the freeways (note: I didn’t say in the corners), and allowed for easy overtaking. Also, with all those windows, visibility was top-notch, and I had very little trouble with blind spots.
Inside, it was all Volvo. The waterfall-inspired center stack was elegant and easy to use as come to be the expectation of Volvos, and everyone who sat in it who hadn’t been in a recent Volvo fell in love with the design and usability the car offered. The seats were fantastic, and the steering wheel felt great. Personally, I found the cabin experience to be on par with much more expensive cars I’ve driven, and continue to love Volvo for the time and design they put into making the experience so rewarding.
All in, if you’re not into aggressive outdoor activities that require occasional off-roading, but still have a need for the cargo space and 5-passenger seating, then I can’t imagine a better looking, more enjoyable car than the V70. 4.5 stars.
