Volvo V70 T5
IF the Volvo V70 estate were a TV personality it would be Lorraine Kelly: a friendly face that never surprises nor offends and that we’ve all become accustomed to over the years.
With the advent of the new Blind Spot Information System or BLIS, the Volvo dialect word count continues to skyrocket. SIPS, IC, WHIPS, ABS, EBD, DSTC, TRACS, ECC, AQS, RTI, what does it all mean?
Someone has to put a stop to this.
BLIS, as featured on the new V70, is actually a very good idea. Essentially this device (expected to cost around £340 when it hits the market later this year) takes the form of two digital cameras mounted beneath the car’s wing mirrors. When another vehicle enters your blind spot the BLIS system kicks into life with a little yellow light appearing on the inside of the door to alert you to the vehicle’s presence.
Further technological innovation comes in the form of an updated version of the Four-C Active Chassis system, first seen on performance orientated R-badged Volvos. In ‘Comfort’ mode the V70 offers occupants a civilised if not quite floaty ride, with the active chassis overcoming bumps and potholes in an accomplished manner. Flick the chunky black button on the dashboard up to ‘Sport’, however, and the V70 takes on an entirely different personality. Every rut and undulation is communicated forcibly into the cabin making everyone inside glad of the comfortably cushioned seats.
On the open road the T5 powerplant lives up to its heavyweight reputation. Particularly in six-speed manual form, the 2.4-litre, 260bhp engine feels quick off the mark. 0-60mph in under seven seconds for a car weighing 1800kgs is really rather impressive, as is the 350Nm of torque available at 5,000rpm. When overtaking at motorway speeds the rev counter needle’s propensity to hurl itself towards the redline really livens up dull journeys.
Stylistically, Volvo’s designers continue to file down the V70’s hard edges and the result is a far more refined and classy looking car. Couple this with some massive alloy wheels (17-inch as standard), the T5’s colour-coded exterior mouldings and subtle chrome detailing and it becomes clear that Volvo is intent on laying down the gauntlet to the more traditional prestige brand estates.
Once inside one is greeted with the usual contradictory blend of opulence and functionality. The luxury is supplied courtesy of leather upholstery, a typically superb stereo system, an electric driver’s seat and aluminium mesh trim. However, a chunky calculator-like centre console and an uninspiring instrument display allude to a more utilitarian outlook.
Space and practicality, a V70’s raison d’etre, are in no short supply. A cavernous 485 litres of stowage space is provided by the Volvo’s boot with the rear seats up. This is increased to 745 litres with them folded down. Numerous cubbyholes, including a versatile central armrest, create even more places where the family’s stuff can be tucked away.
The forward two seats are supportive and adjustable and there is even plenty of head and legroom for all you tall Scandinavian types out there. The airbag-fattened steering wheel also adjusts for rake and reach. Passengers in the back will be less inclined to bouts of agoraphobia, though, as legroom is limited. Gaining access to the three rear seats isn’t easy either, with a narrow opening likely to complicate things for the less limber passenger.
Safety, as you might expect, also figures pretty highly on the V70’s agenda. Trying to list every lifesaving device and gizmo would be both time-consuming and arduous, but buyers can expect to find a plethora of airbags tucked away in every nook and cranny, traction control, electronic brake assist, a whiplash protection system, seatbelt pre-tensioners and a passenger airbag cut off switch. In other words, this Volvo estate is safer than Terry Wogan’s contract with the BBC.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Model: Volvo V70 T5. Prices for V70 T5 start from £30,278 on the road.
Engine: Petrol unit of 2401cc developing 260bhp at 5,500rpm and 350 Nm of torque at 5,000rpm.
Transmission: Four-wheel drive through six-speed manual gearbox.
Brakes: Discs front and rear with ABS, EBD and TRACS.
Performance: Maximum speed 155mph (limited). 0-60mph in 6.8 seconds.
CO2 emissions rating: 226g/km.
Economy: 22.1mpg on the urban cycle, 38.2mpg on the extra urban cycle and 29.7mpg on the combined cycle.
Warranty: 3 year/60,000 mile mechanical, 3 year paintwork and 8 year anti-perforation.
Seymour Horwell
www.volvodevon.co.uk
Greenhill Way, Kingsteignton, Newton Abbot TQ12 3SB
01626 352545 or 01626 352626
