Volvo V70 2.0D : TICKING ALL THE BOXES

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Volvos V70 2.0D is good enough not only to out-point its rivals but make Jonathan Crouch question the need for large MPVs.

Buying an Executive estate car just got a lot easier. Theres still a wide choice of course. BMWs 5 Series Touring, Mercedes E-class estate or Audis A6 Avant are all tempting choices. They just dont make quite as much sense as the car were looking at here Volvos V70 2.

0D, the entry-level diesel option in the line-up.

It helps of course that the £25,495 asking price gives it a £1,500 advantage over the nearest German alternative (which is the Audi if youre interested). Thats money you can useful put towards the extra equipment items you may not need since the Swedish model is actually better equipped. The V70s 2.0-litre diesel develops 136PS but its the 320Nm torque figure thats more significant.

It gives this car enough pulling power to negate the need for many to pay more for either the 163 or 185bhp diesel V70 models. A CO2 emissions figure of 157g/km is also impressive and 8g/km better than the comparable Audi. Your Fleet Manager will want to know that it sits in VED band D and return 47.9mpg on the Combined cycle, which if youre interested is 5% better than the A6.

And the V70 itself? Well, if you havent yet checked out the latest generation version and have a rather old fashioned idea of boring Volvo estates, then this car might come as a bit of a revelation. But lets start with the practical stuff. The rear end looks a little more svelte than before but Volvo hasnt been diverted from this cars raison detre lugging gear. Lots of it.

The clever trick is that the Swedes have disguised the cars inherent boxiness with neat detailing like the split high-level tail lights. Theres a class-competitive 540-litres of virgin space back there and a massive space can be liberated if you fold the rear seats down and stack your cargo to the roofline. The 40-20-40 three part split/fold rear seat offers 16 different combinations and the loadbay floor itself features aluminium rails and movable anchoring points. A sliding load floor is also offered as an option, as is a powered tailgate.

"If youre after a car of this type, then everything you need is here"

The V70s front is pleasantly curvy in-keeping with models like the S80, C70 and V50 which have reinvigorated Volvos reputation for stylish design. The cars designer cleverly decreased the amount the side glass curves from front to rear, for maximum style at the driving end and maximum carrying ability at the business end. Its unmistakably a Volvo and the look is a long way removed from the lithe, purposeful lines of some Germanic rivals. The blacked out side pillars, C30-inspired tail lights and a slightly more raked tailgate angle nevertheless mean that it has enough about it to hold its own from a design perspective.

Of course, its prospects will be helped by a very competitive list of standard equipment. DSTC dynamic stability and traction control is standard. As well as speed-sensitive power steering with three settings, the V70 also features an intelligent power parking brake that automatically disengages when the accelerator is pressed. Theres also an innovative dual-stage integrated rear child booster seat that works in tandem with the V70s extended curtain airbags to provide unparalleled child safety.

So far, so sensible. But in order to attract new customers to the fold, this generation V70 needed to adapt. It has. This is now a car that is more rewarding to drive.

If you simply have to press on over a twisty route, this Volvo, unlike its predecessor, wont require a packet of travel sickness tablets to make the journey bearable. Overall, though the changes may have been mellow on the outside, with a keener chassis, a So capable is this car that in driving it, I find myself starting to question why so many people buy large, luxury MPVs. Of course, they offer the ability to carry seven but then, the V70 can do that if you take up the option of the extra boot-located fold-out bench. Its not quite as big as a fully-fledged People Carrier when youre doing something like moving house of course but then, you have to balance that against the drawbacks in image and roly-poly handling the other 364 days of the year.

But though MPV conquest sales would be nice, Volvos main task with this car is to take on and beat the Mercedes, BMW and particularly Audi opposition, while easily flattening such as the Saab 9-5 Estate in the process. Achieving this objective has been a rather close-run thing with other V70 derivatives due to rather ambitious pricing, but with the 2.0D variant, its a case of job done. Volvo dealers wont thank me for saying this but after driving the 2.

0D, its hard to make a case for more expensive V70 derivatives. If youre after a car of this type, then everything you need is here.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Volvo V70 2.0D
PRICE: £25,495 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 15 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 157g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.9s /Max Speed 121mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 47.9mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver's airbag, side airbags and curtain, ABS, whiplash protection, Isofix child seat mounts, DSTC stability control, rear child booster seat
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height) 4823/1861/1547mm