Sizing up the new Volvo

DAVID LINKLATER tries out the new V70, a true estate car.

Before Volvo's forays into entry-level executive cars and curvaceous convertibles, the Swedish marque used to be all about big estate cars.

It still is, actually, if the new V70 is anything to go by.

"This is special for us," says John Snaith, general manager of local importer Scandinavian Vehicle Distributors. "The C70 might have led the styling renaissance, but the V70 is what we're all about. It's the most Volvo of Volvos."

The model has been launched in two variants for New Zealand, with another two to follow before the end of the year. The 2.4-litre T opens at $83,990, while the high-performance T5 costs $91,900. A price-leading non-turbo V70 will appear in the third quarter of the year, with a new version of the pseudo off-road XC rounding out the line-up in the last quarter.

The new V70 is the first Volvo to be designed as an estate from the outset. It's based on the platform of the S80 sedan, and shares may of the idiosyncratic styling cues of the company's flagship four-door.

One feature that unites Volvos past and present is the V-shape bonnet. It first appeared on the PV444 in the 1940s and returned in the S40 and V40 of the 1990s, as well as the sleek C70.

"The objective was to create an aerodynamic and powerful impression," says designer Peter Horbury. "It gives the V70 a sense of forward motion, much like an arrow."

The rear end finishes abruptly in fine Volvo estate fashion, while the sides have the prominent hips from the S80.

"When we developed this car we wanted to create a front end like a sporty looking car and a rear end like a wagon," says Horbury. "The design element that binds the distinct parts together is the car's shoulders."

So it's a V80 by any other name? No, says Volvo, despite the similarities in styling and the use of the larger car's platform. The V70 estate is 35mm shorter in the wheelbase and 110mm shorter overall than the S80 sedan.

However, it has gained 91mm in the wheelbase compared with the previous model, which has resulted in improved interior space.

There are countless "surprise and delight" features in the interior, including a coat hook on the passenger-side headrest for the driver's convenience, a clip to carry small bags or takeaways on the side of the centre console, and integrated child booster cushions in the back seat squabs. Rear-facing child seats, an option ordered by 80 per cent of buyers of the previous-model V70, are now standard.

Volvo has a reputation for cutting-edge safety, and the V70 does much towards maintaining it. The four-wheel disc braking system from the S80 has anti-lock and electronic force distribution.

Stability Traction Control (STC) is standard on the 2.4T. The T5 has Dynamic STC, which uses gyroscopic and steering sensors to assess whether the car is sliding, and manipulates the brakes to bring the car back under control.

Passive safety systems - those used if the vehicle has a crash - include Volvo's side impact protection system (Sips), inflatable curtain (IC) and whiplash protection system (Whips).

Sips includes a substantial B-pillar and side airbags mounted in the front seats. The IC airbag extends the length of the cabin and can stay inflated for three seconds for maximum head protection. The Whips seats are designed to cradle the occupant and to absorb energy in a rear impact.

The V70's front airbags inflate according to the severity of the impact. During a severe crash the seatbelt pretensioners are activated and the airbags deploy at full capacity. In a less severe impact, the airbags inflate to 70 per cent. In minor impacts, only the pretensioners will go off.

The optional child safety seat has been crash-tested in all the seats in which it can be used. It is designed using the Isofix system, an international standard for installing child safety equipment, and faces backwards even when fitted in the rear seats - the safest direction for a baby's underdeveloped neck muscles in a head-on crash, says Volvo.

Both turbocharged V70s feature revised versions of the previous model's five-cylinder engines. The 2.4T, with light-pressure boost, produces 147kW at 6000 rpm and peak torque of 285Nm from 1800-5000 rpm. The storming T5 makes 184kW at 5200 rpm and 330Nm at 2400-5200 rpm.

Both come with a new five-speed automatic transmission, including Geartronic semi-automatic shifting.