Facts about the Volvo XC70
Facts about the Volvo XC70
The Volvo XC70 is built on the same car platform as the Volvo S60, Volvo V70 Estate, Volvo S80 and Volvo XC90.
The car is designed and built to be driven on all types of roads, good and bad alike. Its roadholding is consistent, regardless of the road conditions.
Like its sister vehicle, the Volvo V70, the Volvo XC70 is very safe. Its basic design is solid and robust, enabling it to withstand the severe collision forces that can be generated in accidents of different types.
Volvo’s patented whiplash protection system, WHIPS, is standard, together with the SIPS side-impact protection system, which includes side-impact airbags (SIPS bags) and the inflatable curtain (IC).
Versatility is one of the Volvo XC70’s hallmarks. The Volvo XC70 offers the kind of comfort and performance that make it a superb long-distance vehicle. However, it also offers AWD, which means that it gets through, regardless of the road conditions. Even those that are really, really bad.
However, the word "versatility" does not simply comprise the ability to get through. It also includes a flexible interior with a number of practical features. The Volvo XC70 is higher than a standard car. The extra height results in addi-tional ground clearance in difficult road conditions. The certified ground clearance
is 200 mm.
As the car is no higher than it needs to be, it still has a relatively low centre of gravity, one of the prerequisites for really good driving characteristics and road performance.
The tyre used on the Volvo XC70 model is the Pirelli 215/65 R16 Scorpion STR. It has an excellent performance on normal asphalt as well as on snow and gravel.
Its relatively low weight is one of the reasons why the Volvo XC70 offers competitive fuel consumption. In mixed driving conditions, it consumes, depending on specification, 10.3 - 10.5 litres/100 km (manual) and 11.1 - 11.3 (automatic) in the petrol version and 8.4 - 8.5 litres/100 km in the diesel version (automatic only).
At customer clinics held during the development of the Volvo XC70, it emerged that customers regarded the car as an estate with greater potential - more func-tionality and versatility - than a standard five-door car can offer. At the clinic in the USA, customers also stated very clearly that, in terms of positioning, they regarded the car as a bridge between the standard estate and the SUV.
The extra equipment includes a child seat that Volvo has developed to be fitted in the luggage compartment. This seat is designed for two children who travel facing rearwards and are strapped in using normal three-point safety belts. When the seat is not in use, it can be folded away under the floor of the luggage compartment with a couple of quick turns of the wrist.
ISOFIX attachments for child seats are available as an option and accessories for both the outer seat positions in the back seat and for the front passenger seat only as an accessory. They must not be installed in the front passenger seat if the car is fitted with a passenger airbag.
The Volvo XC70 can be specified with different audio units. The top-of-the-line model is the HU-803. It has a CD changer for four CDs, eight speakers plus Dolby Surround speakers above the dashboard, 4 x 50W amplifiers and twin radio anten-nae for the best possible reception. What is more, the system can be supplemented
with a 12" sub-woofer under the luggage compartment floor, which is powered by a separate 150W amplifier, and a 10-CD exchanger, which is installed behind one of the side panels in the luggage compartment.
The range of accessories also includes a picnic table that can be fixed in the tailgate opening. The table is accompanied by cushions, which ensure that you can sit in comfort without getting your clothes dirty on the bumper.
Anyone who is interested in equipping the Volvo XC70 for somewhat more gru-elling driving will find that Volvo has developed an underbody protective plate to provide the engine, gearbox and lower subframe with extra protection on bumpy/ stone-covered roads.
A range of accessories that further enhance the level of versatility is available for the Volvo XC70. It includes a cargo box, which has been specially designed for this model and is colour-keyed to match the bodywork, a bicycle holder, plus hold-ers for skis or funboards. Anyone looking for something slightly more exclusive will appreciate the refrigerator, which can be installed in the rear seat.
Note: Fuel consumption and performance figures are preliminary.
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