Among imported brands, Subaru and Volvo have always done especially well with wagons. When the SUV craze hit, Subaru responded by offering an "Outback" variant of its Legacy wagon. The Outback's unexpected success must have caught Volvo's attention, for not long after the Swedish manufacturer introduced an "XC" variant of its V70 wagon.

I've never been a fan of the Volvo XC70. From a functional standpoint, the raised ride heights of these wagon-based quasi-SUVs harms their handling on paved roads. But more than this I've never cared for the styling of the XC70. It has always looked like a poorly tarted-up V70, with clunky-looking cladding often in a color that contrasts overly much with the body panels. No doubt a large part of the problem was that the V70 was not designed with an XC70 variant in mind.

For 2008 Volvo has redesigned the V70, and the XC70 with it. This time around they knew that an XC variant would be offered. Is the resulting car more desirable as a result? I took one for a test drive to find out.


Styling

To my eye, the 2008 Volvo XC70 is much more attractive than earlier generations. The cladding is still present, but it now flows cleanly from end to end rather than having the appearance of the unpainted fascias found on the cheapest cars. All of the elements of the front end are larger and more boldly styled than before. The resulting nose makes a much stronger statement than that on previous Volvo wagons. And it also looks much more attractive, at least to me.

The previous generation XC70 was most closely related to the smaller S60 sedan. This time, the XC70 is heavily based on the S80 sedan. The instrument panel is nearly identical to that in Volvo's flagship, It's attractive in the sensibly luxurious Volvo way. As in the S80, the floating center console looks like a Bang and Olafson creation. However, also as in the S80 this aspect of the design is much less noticeable than it ought to be. Only traditional glossy wood finishes are offered in the XC70. In the S80, a matte wood is offered. I like it, but many others do not. It doesn't really matter in the current case, as this wood is unavailable in the XC70. The armrests on the doors are comfortably upholstered, a touch I always like to see.

The previous XC70's seats were upholstered in a heavily grained leather with oversized stitching in a crosshatched pattern. In the new XC70 the leather is smoother and the stitching, while still in a crosshatched pattern, uses much finer thread. More luxurious and refined, but less rugged and distinctive.


Accommodations

Volvos excels at seating, and the new Volvo XC70 continues this tradition-with one qualification. The XC70's front seats are relatively large and contoured for proper support (if not a lot of lateral support). If not for one quibble, I'd readily recommend these seats for driving long distances. That quibble: as in many recent cars, the headrests jut far forward. People with relatively vertical necks could find them uncomfortably intrusive.

The driving position is a little higher than in a car, courtesy of the XC70's raised suspension. Together with upright pillars of modest thickness, visibility from the driver's seat is fairly good. The main impediment: Volvo’s huge headrests. No matter: this wagon was fitted with the optional Blind Spot Information System (BLIS). When another vehicle entered one of the XC70’s blind spots, a light would come on at the base of that side’s side mirror. I found the system very helpful, and would like to have one like it in my next car.

Despite the slight increase in exterior size, the back seat remains tighter than that in other midsize luxury cars. Adults of average size will find the amount of space passable, but larger adults will be a tight fit.

Unlike I past Volvo wagons, no rear-facing third-row seat is offered. Apparently if you need a third seat, even for occasional use, you're supposed to opt for the XC90 SUV.

Volvo has retained a traditionally square tail end for the redesigned wagon. So cargo volume is plentiful even without the rear seat folded. For especially long loads, all seats save the driver's fold flat.


On the Road

The previous Volvo XC70's turbocharged five-cylinder has been dropped in favor of a naturally aspirated (no turbo) inline six-cylinder. The new engine is much smoother, but is deficient in low-end grunt when called upon to motivate the XC70's considerable mass. The company committed a strategic error when opting for a displacement of 3.2 liters; in this segment 3.5s and 3.6s are now the norm. A turbocharged version of the new six is already offered here in the S80 sedan and overseas in the XC70. So a T6 version of the new XC70 seems likely for the U.S. Anyone with even a passing interest in performance will want to wait for it.

The standard all-wheel-drive system is designed to instantly shift torque to the rear wheels. So there's none of the lag that plagued earlier Haldex systems.

I could have driven the V70 wagon, but opted to test the more distinctive XC70 instead. I'd personally go for the V70 between the two, as the XC70's higher ride height and taller tire sidewalls predictably take a toll on the car's handling. Though body motions are well-controlled, in hard turns understeer and lean border on excessive and the tires begin to lose grip early. The steering is moderately heavy but numb in the Volvo fashion. The car feels heavy, even ponderous. Clearly the XC70 is not a driver's car. I've had more fun driving some SUVs.

The new Volvo XC70, related as it is to the S80 sedan, is much more a luxury car, with a smooth, quiet ride. Still, plenty of cars these days ride as well while also handling much better.


Volvo XC70 Prices and Price Comparisons

In recent decades Volvos have been priced above Japanese luxury brands but beneath current ones. This makes them moderately expensive cars. The 2008 Volvo XC70’s price starts at $37,520, and climbs with options. The car I drove listed for over $44,000. Seems pricey. But how does it compare to alternatives?

Saab is now offering all-wheel-drive in its considerably sportier but also slightly smaller and less luxurious 9-3 wagon. A similarly loaded Saab 9-3 Aero AWD falls within a few hundred dollars of the Volvo.

An A6 3.2 Quattro lists for about $11,000 more. A VW Passat VR6 4Motion, on the other hand, checks in about $5,200 below the Volvo before adjusting for remaining feature differences, and about $3,300 lower afterwards.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Volvo XC70 (and V70):

http://www.truedelta.com/models/V70.php

Last Words

The Volvo XC70 maintains the brand’s traditional strengths of comfort and safety features and adds additional luxury to the mix. And yet I’d personally never own one, as the suspension is far too squishy and the handling far too ponderous. In past years Volvo offered an R version of the V70 wagon for people like me. But they’ve decided that performance and handling are not what the brand is about, so the R is no more.

No doubt most luxury wagon buyers care far less about handling than I do. Still, the new XC70’s handling might be soggy enough that even such buyers notice. I've discovered more atheletic chassis beneath some SUVs. Normally I much prefer a wagon to an SUV, but I'd rather have an Acura MDX or Mazda CX-9 than this car. I expect a wagon, with its lower center of gravity, to handle better.

Even if the subpar handling does pass muster, I suspect many potential XC70 buyers will be put off by the tepid performance of the new inline six. For them, a turbo six is likely on the way. But how much will it bump the price?

A Note on Volvo XC70 Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I started collecting my own data in the fall of 2005. Results are posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta clearly identifies what difference it will make if you buy a Volvo XC70 rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" stats (with others coming in the future). You will eventually be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Volvo XC70 reliability comparisons.

To report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the XC70--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Amount Paid (US$): 44,000
Model Year: 2008
Model and Options: XC70 3.2 most options