Volvo V70 review (2007 onwards model)

• What – Volvo V70 T6 SE Lux
• Where – Düsseldorf, Germany
• Price – £38,180
• Available – September
• Key rivals – Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class

Summary

Volvo’s back with a bigger and better estate car, once more with real big-load potential. The range-topping T6 doesn’t offer the pinnacle of driving pleasure you might hope for though.

• Likes: very well-thought out load carrying ability, distinctive style, quality and comfort of the interior
• Dislikes: T6 lacks the excitement it needs, thirsty petrol engine, grumbly five-cylinder diesel engine alternative

GALLERY: Volvo V70

First impressions

Volvo has the design of this new V70 spot on. You know it from the moment you set eyes on the car. The form of recent Volvos is there, but it’s also classic Volvo estate brought up to date. That square rear end means there’s room for big boxes and furniture that just isn’t there in the rivals from Audi and BMW, where the tailgate slopes forward in deference to the God of styling. Then there are neat touches like the steel guard that folds down from the roof to stop luggage – or dogs – ending up in the front.

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The boot floor gets built-in rails to lash down your cargo and there are volumes of accessories if you have the patience to read the book. Converting to the V70 to its full load carrying potential is simply a matter of flopping the 40:20:40 spit backrests down onto the seat cushion. Do that, though, and there’s no steel guard to lock-out the full weight of the luggage, but there is a fiddly solution involving netting. If off-tarmac driving is your thing Volvo offers the new four-wheel-dive XC70 alongside, but only with the non-turbocharged version of this engine, or a diesel.

Performance

Though the majority of V70 sales will be of diesels, the top model is the petrol T6. This gets a 3-litre version of the Volvo’s recent transverse straight six, with a clever electronically controlled twin-scroll turbocharger. So they say. But the figures really do the talking: 285bhp coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission that Volvo calls Geartronic. Along with great slugs of torque this should mean soul-stirring performance, but that’s rarely the case. While this is the sort of car where you are going much faster than you realise when you look down at the speedometer, refinement overrules the fun.

I guess Volvos target, for this car, with it’s sub-20mpg real-life economy, appears to be aimed more at countries with long straight roads and low fuel prices. Oh, and you can play around. Geartronic gives you the option of a sports mode and you can shift manually too if you choose, though there’s rarely much point. Volvo has also missed the opportunity to fit paddle shifts to the transmission, though we suspect that this is on the list of few prospective buyers. Pushed hard the T6 will reach 62mph in 7.2 seconds. Yes, that’s quick, but it’s slower than a BMW 530 diesel.

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Ride and handling

Volvo also offers the V70 in a high-rise, cross-country form as the XC70, and the S6 takes that four-wheel-drive system to distribute the drive smoothly to the road. With this amount of power you can’t really get away with the front-wheel-drive of lesser V70s, though of course BMW and Mercedes can drive just two wheels because they transmit the power to the rear. Alongside,Volvo’s Four-C chassis controls the damping stiffness varies according to your speed, though you can override the settings manually into Comfort, Sport or Advanced mode.

The result is a decent blend of agility and ride comfort. The T6 rarely feels too stiff, yet it handles corners and bumps with some real finesse. There’s all the usual “Dynamic Stability and Traction Control” stuff to make sure the car doesn’t get out of shape if your enthusiasm rises above your ability, but that’s not really likely to happen with the T6. The steering is light for parking and weights up with speed and, rather neatly, you can adjust the servo effect to three different levels via the dashboard.

Interior and safety

It’s no wonder the V70 looked so Volvo-ish. Everything from the front doors forward is taken straight from the S80 saloon. But whereas the S80 seems too subtle for its own good, the V70 really works. The interior is beautifully formed, with an elegant dashboard that combines class with quality. How good it is to see something different to the usual German premium car interiors. Then there are the seats, which are simply superb. Volvo has given them a soft overlayer with firmer support beneath, and you get the best of both worlds. Space in the rear is improved and reasonable for a couple of large blokes.

As for safety, well it’s a Volvo. While the company doesn’t exactly scorn EuroNCAP, Volvo does have one of the best databases relating to real-life accidents and the best measures to prevent injury. Take kids. You can specify child booster cushions that simply rise out of the rear seats, with two heights for children of different sizes, though this is nothing new. There are extended side curtain airbags and tweaks to the safety belts to limit the forces on children's torsos. Or take the WHIPS whiplash protection system, one of the most effective on the market. The attention to detail throughout should be enough to put any Volvo on your shortlist.

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Economy

Hmm. Volvo reckons an average of 25mpg is possible, but our experience showed that 20mpg is nearer the mark. That’s the trouble with these big engines, which rock through the statutory tests on barely more than tickover but like to gulp the fuel when you use them in real life. Still, if economy is important to you don’t buy the T6 but one of the diesels. Then again, if high performance is important to you don’t buy the T6 either. Take this on board. The BMW 530d Touring is not only faster, it promises almost 20mpg more on the statutory test. C02 level are 270g/km.

The MSN Cars verdict: 4/5

The V70 could so easily be a five star car. In this T6 form it’s hugely capable but it never gets to that defining “I want one” moment. And it should do, with all that power, clever chassis and £38,000 price tag.

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Ratings out of five: Volvo V70 T6

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