Volvo V70

Introduced as a revamped edition of the 850 wagon, Volvo V70 soon became the pick of the lot amongst the midsize wagons offering amazing cargo room of an SUV, as well as secure handling, and decent fuel economy of a sedan.

However, it has been one of the costlier options for the entry level options in the segment of family wagons featuring unrivaled safety standards, and elegant looks.

Starting with a modest design, the new Volvo V70 has turned into an eye candy, retaining its top notch safety standards, and powerful performance.

Now, let’s take a retrospective look at various generations of Volvo V70.

First Generation Volvo V70 (1993- 2000)

The 1st generation Volvo V70 was just like the midsize Volvo 850. It was debuted in 1993 as a front wheel drive vehicle. It had sophisticated safety features such as distinctive lineup of five-cylinder engines, and capacious interior.

Standard models were powered by a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated five-cylinder engine, which could render 168-hp, whereas the T5 model was featured with a turbocharged inline-5-cylinder engine for rendering a sprightly throughput of 222-hp.

The GLT got a 2.4-liter 190-hp turbocharged-5-cylinder engine for the year 1997. The 850 wagon was refined and renamed as “V70″ in 1998.

With the exception of gently updated front-end styling, a smooth control design a bit smoother suspension settings, not much had been modified. In 1998, all-wheel drive became optional on GLT. The T5 could output 236 hp, whereas the high performance Volvo V70 R model pumped out 246 horsepower.

Second Generation (2001-2007)

The second generation Volvo V70 was launched in the auto-markets in 2001 and stayed in markets till 2007. It was built on a fresh platform and sleeker looks just like the S80, and Volvo S60 sedan.

Trims

The starting trim levels were XC, T5, 2.4T, and base 2.4. Standard models got power from the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine, whereas 2.4T models derived greater power from a turbocharger and delivered 197-hp. Among all, the T5 was the most powerful version, which could pump out about 247 hp.

The reviewers of present generation Volvo V70 are impressed with its luxury amenities, safety, and styling cues. This car got appreciations from most of the customers and reviewers in the fields of price and rear leg room.

In 2004, the 2.4T was substituted by the 2.5T that provided a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine that could pump 208 hp. The V70 was developed with all-wheel drive mechanism and was available as 2.4T in 2002.

From starting of 2004, the XC model has been traded as an exclusive model. A high-performance Volvo V70 R model was also available that could churn out 300-hp.

Coming to shortcomings of Volvo V70, it suffered from some mechanical problems. Those problems were related to transmissions, but limited to certain models only. The transmission problems could be eliminated by using high quality materials and including turbocharger facility connected to the engine.

2011 Volvo V70

Apart from these minor issues discussed above, the Volvo V70 is a good automobile that has been greatly appreciated by customers and reviewers.

The hardcore lovers of this car are still awaiting a more sophisticated modern version of the Volvo V70, though 2011 V70 looks like a fairly promising offering in terms of styling cues, power, and gas mileage.