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Volvo V70 Review & Road TestReview by www.new-car-reviews.co.uk
Summary Volvo has a long tradition of building practical and robust estates that, unfortunately, have also been typified by slabsided, drab designs. The new V70 changes all that and manages to combine all that was great about the traditional Volvo estate with a new elegant design - putting it well ahead of its competition and earning it many motoring accolades. The new V70 is still capable of carrying a full set of kids, holiday luggage and a couple of dogs but the new car manages to pull off this trick and still look stylish - a claim that could not have been levelled at its predecessor. What is even more surprising is that the latest set of modifications have made the V70 remarkably engaging to drive (thanks to a stiffening of the chassis and uprated suspension). Consequently the cars is much more supple and deals with uneven road surfaces without becoming fidgety, body roll is also well controlled and there is plenty of grip. The more interesting engine options include; the turbo-charged T5 petrol unit (which in 300bhp form can propel the heavy V70R from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds) and the aluminium D5 diesel which is quiet, torquey and capable of returning 52mpg even when the car is fully loaded. As you would expect from Volvo, the V70 is big on safety; front, side and curtain airbags are standard, a WHIPS system helps to prevent neck injury and optional rear facing children's bench seats are among the list of safety features. Continuing on a practical note, the front and rear passengers have plenty of head and legroom and the boot is also spacious. The front seats are also amongst the most comfortable you will find in ay car and have been praised for their back saving features. The cabin has the quality feel you would expect from Volvo but also adds lots of thoughtful features, like the hooks and luggage nets that prevent your shopping from being strewn around the boot and a small worktable that folds out from the rear seats. Equipment levels are also high - air conditioning, leather trim, cd player all being standard on most models. On longer motorway journeys the V70 provides a relaxing and hushed environment, road, wind and engine noise are all well suppressed. Review ©2006 New-car-reviews.co.uk Do you agree? Do you disagree? Click here to submit your own review of the Volvo V70 >> |
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