McLaughlin Motors

• Introduction  »
• Interior / Walk Around  »
• Driving Impressions  »
• Summary

Walk Around

The Volvo XC70 is all new for 2008, meaning that everything from its engine to the interior to the basic architecture if its chassis has changed. The exterior design has changed, too, and while its basic character is familiar Volvo, the XC70 looks smarter than before. And it is smarter.

Its exterior dimensions have changed with everything else. The XC70 is now built on what Volvo calls its large car platform, which was introduced under the 2007 S80 sedan, while the previous XC70 shared its underpinnings with the intermediate S60 sedan. The important point is that the XC70 now has more in common with the line-topping S80 than the mid-size S60.

Given that it shares a larger car's platform, it might seem odd that the 2008 XC70 is nearly a foot shorter than the 2007 model. Its wheelbase, however, increases about two inches to 110.8, which creates more room inside. A longer wheelbase combined with a shorter overall length means shorter overhangs, and that's a good thing. Overall, the 2008 XC70 is a bit shorter and narrower than a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class wagon. Yet it's slightly heavier than either, and weighs 400 pounds more than the 2007 model. No lightweight, the 2008 XC70 tips the scales at 4,092 pounds.

The XC70 body is nearly identical to that of the new Volvo V70, which fills the role of a more conventional road-going wagon in the Volvo lineup. Both were developed with Volvo's attention to impact-dissipating crumple zones, and both have fully laminated glass. The only unique XC70 structural feature is an extra lower front crossbeam, added to account for its higher ride height in an impact.

The new styling is Volvo evolution, but it's also smoother, less gangly and visually tighter than the 2007 XC70. In profile, the character line at the bottom of the windows rises a bit more dramatically, creating a more forward leaning, dynamic stance. The window pillars are blocked out, which makes all the windows look like a single element. The rear glass now angles forward toward the front of the car, rather than dropping cliff-like from the back edge of the roof, yet there's still there's a bit more cargo volume inside.

The headlights and grille are larger, a bit more angular and more prominently defined. The XC70 now has a soft plastic nose painted to match the body, rather than the full, dark-vinyl mask worn on the 2007 version. The lower bumper is still dark vinyl, with intake-like cutouts for the foglights; below it, the silver-colored skid has been widened and shaped more aerodynamically. There's still a lot of dark, impact-resistant cladding around the bumpers and along the rockers, but we'll take the new look over the old.

From the rear, the XC70's hexagonal shape reminds us of Volvo's new, small C30 coupe. The tail lights are large enough and bright enough to do Las Vegas proud, and the rear glass window extends down lower than the side windows to improve rearward visibility. The optional, hydraulically operated power tailgate is handy if you approach the back of this car with arms loaded, and it keeps hands cleaner if the tailgate is coated with grime.

Interior

2008 Volvo XC70

The XC70 interior borrows heavily from Volvo's line-topping S80 sedan, taking both design themes and components such as gauges, switches and console. We'd call it one of the company's best yet. Volvo interiors have usually been straightforward in function, but they've sometimes been almost cloddish in appearance, with at least a few quirks. Not so in this all-new XC70. It's understated, but elegant and nicely polished. Materials and overall finish are high grade.

The optional leather upholstery is smooth and stretched tautly over the front seats, and the seats themselves are excellent. It's hard to find a better mix of comfort and support for typical driving. Ventilated cool seats are optional. Visibility outward is good, forward and aft. The rear-most side windows are imbedded with their own electrical grid for defrosting.

With the 2008 XC70, Volvo has also refined its WHIPS whiplash limiting seat design. During a rear-end impact, the seatbacks moves rearward to reduce acceleration forces on the occupant's back and neck, while the headrest pushes forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head as they are thrust backward.

The XC70 driver sits before a fat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, looking at big, crisp gauges with bright-white backlighting and number gradients that are easy for the brain to absorb. The standard trim is etched aluminum, but the optional walnut and walnut root are gorgeous. The overall effect is very Scandinavian, yet the coolest element may be the thin-panel center stack. It's no more than two inches thick, with open space behind it. Most controls are placed here, with audio above climate and a display at the top, arranged in a neat, symmetrical pattern. The primary knobs are big and raised substantially from the surface, and the airflow controls are fashioned in an icon shaped like a seated person shaped icon, so there's absolutely no confusion about directing air toward the face, feet or windshield.

It's all quite clean and pleasing. Most significantly, measured by function and simplicity of operation, the XC70's various controls are better than most other luxury brands, and particularly German brands, which still insist on layering more menus in their interfaces (while still adding more buttons). This alone might be enough reason for some to choose Volvo.

The navigation system is new, and promising. The screen pops up vertically from the center of the dash, though it's canted forward at what seems a strange angle. The driver surfs through menus and makes choices with buttons on the back of the steering wheel spokes, almost where you'd expect paddle shifters for an automatic transmission. Our initial reaction is that it's better than other systems. The menus are no more difficult to learn, and they're managed without taking hands from the steering wheel and fishing for the controls. Passengers can control the system with a remote.

In-cabin storage is decent. The center console and glovebox hold quite a bit of stuff. The pockets behind the front seatbacks are handy and the cupholders work well.

The XC70's rear seat is not the roomiest, given the apparent size of the vehicle it's in. We wouldn't recommend it to six-footers for a cross-country trip. There's enough room that someone 5-feet, 9 inches won't get claustrophobic or cramped riding in the back of the XC70 across town, however. And we think it would be fine for families until the kids are well into their teens. With the stereo upgrade, there are redundant audio controls and headphone jacks for rear passengers. The rear DVD system puts a screen in the back of both front headrests, which we prefer to those that drop from the headliner.

The cargo area is another of the XC70's strengths. The back seat folds easily, 40/20/40, so the center section can work like a pass-through for skis or hockey sticks. With a maximum cargo capacity of 72

Go to Driving Impressions