Good news for Volvo fans who are not afraid of some mud spatter on their paintwork – the third generation of the XC70 has just broken cover at Geneva.
Good news for Volvo fans who are not afraid of some mud spatter on their paintwork – the third generation of the XC70 has just broken cover at Geneva.
The new car will be powered by a choice of two engines. The petrol powerplant is a naturally-aspirated 3,2 litre straight-six petrol unit that delivers 177 kW and 320 N.m of torque mated with Volvo’s six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission.
The oil-burning contingent is represented by the company’s second generation 2,4 litre five-cylinder turbodiesel, which delivers 138 kW, 400 N.m of torque and will be mated with either Geartronic or a conventional six-speed manual gearbox.
Sources suggest that both engines manage a top speed of 216 km/h with the petrol-powered XC70 dispatching the 0-100 km/h dash in 8,8 seconds.
The new XC70 rolls on an all-new chassis that incorporates high-strength steel in its construction, making it 15 percent more rigid than its predecessor. With two occupants on board, the newcomer’s ride height is 74 mm higher compared with the previous car, giving the SUV an effective ground clearance of 210 mm.
With improved ramping angles of 19,2 degrees (approach), 19,8 degrees (break over) and 24 degrees (departure) – compared with 16-, 18- and 20 degrees respectively for the previous model) and a wading depth of 300 mm, the new XC70 certainly has the stance to tackle tricky conditions.
Volvo’s AWD system uses an electronically-controlled hydraulic clutch to apportion power to all wheels, the one-touch Hill Descent Control system assists the XC70 to negotiate steep downhill conditions at a steady 10 km/h and the Swedish marque’s dynamic stability and traction control system is standard equipment.
The styling of this new Volvo has clearly been flavoured by Ford’s “kinetic” design approach – the aggressive front-end treatment and deep plastic-clad bumpers with trapezoidal details suits the go-anywhere character of the XC70.
The XC70’s interior features bespoke leather trim with bold cross-stitching details, brushed aluminium trim accents and a DSP (digital signal processing) audio system with Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound and adjustable sound pattern.
Furthermore, the XC70 continues to exhibit a great deal of practicality in its design. Boot capacity has increased by 55 dm³ over that of the previous model to 575 dm³. A further boon to practicality is a 40-20-40 three-part split rear seat and foldable front passenger seat. Volvo claims that the XC70 can be configured to 16 different seating/load combinations.
The XC70 will become available locally towards the end of 2007, pricing has yet to be announced.
