New V70 - What do you think?

I'm having trouble coming to terms with the styling of the rear end of
the new V70. Anyone else the same?

It looks like a Subaru to me, and whereas the old one (00-07) looked
handsome and not out of place amongst Rollers and big Mercs, I think
the new one looks a bit cheap and ungainly. In Europe we had this
Korean car called a Ssangyong Musso, and it reminds me of that, which
isn't a good thing.
Maybe it will grow on me.

And if I've just eaten, I try to avert my eyes from the new XC70.
YMMV
Dz

 

Overall it looks good to me. Volvo typically lags when it comes to
making styling changes and the rear-end treatment is no exception.

 

I like both the new V70 and the new XC70 well enough.

I saw the new Mercedes minivan the other day - now THAT's one ugly
vehicle, looks like a Chrysler T&C that's been stepped on...

 

Overall it looks good to me.

Perhaps I'm just being a change-averse stick-in-the-mud.
I'll work on it.
Dz

 

Since I don't go around looking at my back end, that is a problem for
other people, not me. However, there are some substantive changes.

The only engine is the British 6 Cylinder. The Swedish 5 Cylinder is no
longer available on the V70 in the US.

The V70 is now assembled in Sweden and not Belgium as it was before.

It still has a Japanese transmission; it is the 6-speed geartronic.

It has a new Haldex AWD system which is acclaimed as much better than
the previous Haldex system.

They added "Hill-Decent" control which is a big step forward.

They added 400 pounds weight which is a big step backward. However, the
fuel economy is still good, even slightly improved.

It has a healthy serving of electronics that determine if there is a
vehicle in your blind spot, if you weave over the center line, turn
without signaling, your eyes are not staying open or your head is
nodding. It can also give an alarm or adjust the cruise speed if you
follow too closely. It has a lot of big brother safety features. They
seem like a good idea, but I am skeptical of their implementation out of
the box. I can envision many scenarios where such features could be
annoying.

 

Are you sure?

The V70 was never assembled outside of Sweden (Göteborg). Only the
smaller V40, V50 and the S40s were built in Belgium.

Jörg

 

Nope, I have a V70 built in Belgium, and exported to the US, then it went
back to europe (Germany) and I bought it from there.

 

Well, it's just another step to leave the "brick" image, build up with
the 140, 240 an maybe the 740 series.

For me the new V70 looks too much like the VW Passat from the back
side.

Maybe I'm old-fashiond as well... ;-)


Roland
(2000 V40, Austria)

 

Most sources put V70 assembly as having been in both Belgium and Sweden.
I know for certain that 850s were built in both factories.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_V70

 

According the the Volvo USA website only the six is available for 2008
US market V70s. Seems kind of dumb considering the importance of fuel
economy these days.

 

Yes, I was at the dealer and read the sticker and the fairly large
booklet about the V70. But that is the US version.

Both my 855s were assembled in Belgium as was my '01 V70XC. All cars in
the US have a label showing where the engines and transmissions are made
and where the car is assembled. They also tell what portion are USA
parts. That is .5% to 1% on the Volvos in the showroom.

 

Not really. The new 6 gets better gas mileage on a car that weighs 400
pounds more. It has some exotic variable valve thing that I am not sure
what it is. Anyway, it is supposed to be one of the most efficient
engines made. The 5 was good, but the 6 is even better.

 

While my Volvo dealer was changing the timing belt on my '01 V70XC, I
looked at the new XC70 for about 3 hours. I couldn't tell much
difference except the lights are laid out differently and they have some
funning looking lights or reflectors in the rear bumper on the corners.
The changed the layout of the lights so they can have a larger tailgate
with a larger opening. Now it should be easier to carry a 4' x 8' sheet
of plywood. It will still be at an angle, but it will sit down lower.

 

I have a 2006 V70 D5. The new V70 is so ugly for me that I will never
buy it! Either I will keep my current V70 until they change the rear
or I have to switch to the V50 or the S80 further down the road.

The back of the new one reminds me of a Mitsubishi Galant (in Europe)
Station Wagon back in the early 90s: Deja vu and very ugly. The design
of the rear is not harmonic, wild and irritating.

I doubt that seriously!

Jörg

 

An a five cylinder version with those same technologies would do better yet.