Swedish snow in a Volvo XC70

What is it?

Volvo's crossover estate. There's something deeply satisfying about owning something that's over-engineered. Whether that be a fancy chronograph watch that'll accurately time a lap to 100th of a second, or a Volvo that's been designed to cope with cold snaps down to -40-degrees. Volvo reckons it's one of the only companies to test its cars in such extreme conditions. Cold as it is in the UK at the moment -40 thankfully isn't a number you'll have seen on the weather maps this winter, so Volvo took us to Sweden to sample the XC70 in its natural, VERY CHILLY, environment.

The XC70 is a fantastic-looking piece of kit, based on the handsome V70 estate. But the XC70 is a V70 in its hiking gear. It adds grippy four-wheel drive, suspension raised by 66mm, chunky wheel-arch over-riders, tougher-looking bumpers and hill descent control and DTSC stability systems as standard. That all makes it remarkably good in the snow in Sweden, and if it's good there it should be good everywhere.

Is it any good?

Any car that'll keep you warm when the outside temperature gauge is nudging 30 below is good with us. Seriously though, Volvo goes to great lengths to test its cars in the toughest conditions possible. Little wonder then that the majority of the traffic around Riksgransen where we're driving - well within the Arctic Circle - is made up of Volvos old and new. Being based on the V70, the XC70 is a practical machine, its huge boot offering all the luggage space you could ever ask for, the clever storage solutions on offer in the boot meaning whatever you're carrying back there is easily secured.

That's just as well as, after having the DTSC demonstrate its effectiveness at keeping the XC70 pointing in the right direction on an ice lake, I've switched the traction and stability controls off. For a moment I'm Stig Blomqvist, sliding the big XC70 around like a rally driver - it's little wonder the Scandinavian countries produce so many rally and F1 stars with the sort of car control they develop on their snow-covered roads. Power for the XC70 comes from either a 238bhp 3.2-litre petrol unit, or a 185bhp D5 turbodiesel. It's the diesel that's the biggest seller in the UK, taking an extraordinary 97% of sales. Punchy and powerful, its 295lb.ft of torque make it a fantastic towing car, the 3.2-litre petrol not able to match the diesel's mighty torque but still offering an ample 236lb.ft. The D5 turbodiesel comes with a six-speed manual as standard, the 3.2 coming with Volvo's six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission. It's comforting to think that no matter how nasty the conditions back here in the UK are, the XC70 - and indeed all Volvo's range - has been designed to cope with much worse.

Should I call the bank manager?

If you want the security and need the traction of a four-wheel drive car but don't want a conventional SUV, crossovers such as the XC70 represent a very sensible alternative. It's got the towing power of all but the largest SUVs, can cope remarkably well on rough off-road tracks yet doesn't exhibit the high centre of gravity driving compromises that a regular 4x4 has. Being based on a regular estate car means you're less likely to be the butt of environmentalists' scorn, too. The range starts at £31,035 for the D5 SE, rising to £36,200 for the 3.2-litre SE Lux. That's a few thousand cheaper model-for-model than the XC70's most obvious Audi A6 Allroad competitor.

Summary

Unless there's some sort of global climate catastrophe it's unlikely you'll ever need to test the XC70 at the sort of temperatures that we drove it in, but it's good to know it can do it. But above that the XC70 offers a practical, SUV alternative that drives almost identically to its V70 relatives. We also think it looks great, the chunky additional bodywork giving it real presence. It's an excellent family car, particularly if your idea of a good family holiday involves driving to the mountains for winter sports.

Kyle Fortune