Test drive Volvo V70 1997 - 2000 station wagon
Cross through Spanish country
The autopilot editorial office accumulated a large number of car catalogs for 1998, collected by hardworking journalists in various countries of the world or simply accumulated on book collapse on the way to the editor. But even in the thickest and most detailed, where the Volvo section takes a dozen pages, you will not find complete information about this model. Everywhere the same photo of a car with an unusual front for Swedish cars and a signature - Volvo Cross Country. The most detailed publications indicate that the debut of this car will take place at the Frankfurt car dealership, and it will go on sale in early 1998. All! A DARK HORSE
The premiere took place. Many journalists knew that in Germany Volvo would present some new all-wheel drive car, even rumors went that the company was quietly released a jeep (and how, fashion!). And many in that salon were very groaning, slipping a new model, which flashes at the stand in a row of their own kind. The first visual acquaintance was a little disappointed: saw a new Volvo? - What is it?! - Well, with mountain bicycles on the roof. -A-ah-ah ... And in just a month in a small autopilot, the case fell closer to get to know the new product of 1998.
So, allow me to present the car with its full name - Volvo V70 XC AWD. If we decipher this letter -civilian set, we get the following: V - station wagon, 70 - on the basis of the 70th series that has already become popular with us, XC in American English means CROSS Country (in free translation - something like galloping in the village) , AWD - all -wheel drive. The machine completes the long row of the premieres of the outgoing year in the series V - V40 T4, V70 AWD, V70 AWD R.
Dedicated to heroes-heroes
If the junior representative of the series - V40 T4 - was specially created for fans to grind rubber from the place, then the eldest - the V70 XC AWD - is intended for fans of lifestyle close to nature, but do not want to abandon the inherent Volvo prestige and elegance inherent in modern Volvo.
At the same time, the appearance of the XC has undergone a significant and quite revolutionary transformation for Volvo. First of all, this applies to the front of the car, which is executed with a clear stylization for the jeep. The back of the car, lateral moldings and skiing for attaching the trunk on the roof were subjected to slight restyling.
The most important difference between XC and other models with the AWD abbreviation is in the clearance, which is increased by about 2.5 cm by changing some suspension elements and tire diameter.
A set of additional equipment attached to the XC will satisfy the most demanding buyer. Well, for example, you are a hero father, and you have more than one child in your family, like ordinary people, but three, and everyone does not squeeze all into a special children's seat that leaves the middle of the rear sofa. Fine, you can buy a block of two others from the dealer, which are easily installed in the trunk.
Another option is a passionate hunter, and guns, binoculars, dogs and other accessories of a noble hobby are constantly flying along the cabin. In this case, the aerodynamic suitcase on the roof with two special compartments for weapons and ammunition is at your service, and a double cage for dogs can be inserted into the trunk. Moreover, everything is thought out - metal rods are covered with a special soft plastic so that the dogs do not spoil the dogs.
Particular tenderness caused a special rug, which is hidden in the compartment of the spurts and pulled out into the light at the time of loading into the trunk, for example, bags with oranges. In order to, God forbid, the trousers do not stain on the dirty rear bumper.
Full-wheel drive in Swedish Full -wheel drive was conceived by Swedish designers only for the V70 series. The subject of special pride is that the driver is completely excluded from the transmission management process - the intellectual system does everything for it.
Between the front and rear axles of the car is the WISKOFT, which distributes the torque of the engine between the front and rear wheels. During the movement of the car along a flat road with a hard surface, 98 percent of the torque falls on the front wheels. But when they begin to lose the clutch with the road, the torque of the engine is gradually distributed between the front and rear bridges, depending on the strength of their adhesion to the road surface.
Let's see what Sukhov it is
Honestly, the country of Spain does not really have a full -fledged running test of a car on which proud AWD letters flaunt. Too dry and even. In addition, the ardor of journalists who gathered to tear themselves to the full, quickly cooled by the representative of Volvo. Before handing us the coveted keys to new cars, he said directly: remember, this is not a car Off Road. Do not try to climb into the mud (if you find) and drive the hills.
By the way, we looked at the mud on the eve - in some places, rice fields, competently filled with water, stretched along the highway. But you can’t - it means you can’t! And we fell on the highway.
On the Volvo V70 XC AWD, either a five -speed mechanical box or a four -speed machine is served in serial. Both models managed to ride both the asphalt and along the seven-kilometer gravel road, which the Swedes were nevertheless included in the test drive program.
For many, my verdict will be shocking, but in SUV, a car with an automatic machine was more to taste. Her highlight lies in a small button with the letter L between the seats. The fact is that in a normal SUV there is necessarily the possibility of choosing between increased and reduced gears that switch through the underwear box. This is not provided for Volvo. At least in the option with a manual box. And a certain imitation of such a function appears on the machine - by clicking on L, you converts the checkpoint into a reduced mode of operation. As a result, the car feels much more confident on the gravel and just on the off -road.
According to the passport, the maximum speed of the Volvo V70 XC AWD on the highway is 205 km/h for a machine gun and 215 km/h for the version with mechanics. In fact, both cars calmly accelerated to 240 km/h. The machine did not go anymore, but it became scary on the mechanics - the tests were carried out not at the training ground, but on the highway of Seville - Cadiz.
Special pleasure was delivered by the behavior of the machine in the turns, which abounds the track. The feeling was created that the car simply clung to the asphalt with all four wheels and did not let it out like a beloved dog.
And another addition is an amazing cruise control. At the end of the control handle of this, in a general simple device, there is a key with simple and understandable symbols: + and -. The essence of the device is this - cruise control is turned on, you go at a speed of 140 km/h and suddenly notice that you are overtaken. Moving your feet, cozy pursed under the seat, laziness, and you just press your finger + until the speedometer shooter crawls to the mark of 160. The finger can be released, and the cruise control is already tuned to a new wave!
As a result, we managed to cross this machine, if not all of Spain, then half of Andalusia. And, as one acquaintance used to say, the resume is like this: the car is really Cross Country. Not in the sense of jumping along the hills, but in the sense of the opportunity to get great pleasure from the trip, not especially worried about the quality of the coating under the wheels.
For the world car press, the appearance of an unusual Cross Country from Sweden was a terrible test. It was not possible to express, as usual, to express their peremptory opinion this time. To do this, we should compare the car with competitors - it turned out to be a harden. The devil himself will not figure out what to compare with.
Another hybrid, never before unprecedented, can not hide his confusion wise by the experience of the English Daily Telegraph.
A completely new, unusual, non -standard concept in the auto industry, the Americans from Automotive News echo him.
As a result, the majority of car journals (and this is the only source of opinions about XC), barely starting talking about the novelty, immediately proceeds to the general arguments that, they say, what times have come, how many unusual cars appeared. It seems to be more specifically to say nothing, and the testers begin a rather stupid occupation - drawing a portrait of a potential buyer Volvo XC. Well, what is he? Probably sports, energetic - but at the same time without excessiveness. Probably loves fresh air and wild nature - but still not quite wild, because he still does not buy Land Rover. Not afraid of bad roads - but does not climb into impassable dirt. He wants to stand out in the street stream - but not so much, but a little well and so on. In short, in psychological terms a simple and banal thought is expressed that Volvo XC is not quite ordinary and not quite off -road.
The press in confusion and simply evades responsibility. The Australian Sidney Times alone did not pull the rubber, but went to the matter purely practically. Volvo Cross Country, ”she argues,“ is going to comfortably accommodate in the price niche of luxurious SUVs like Range Rover. But look unscrewed, which car is most similar to? Of course, on Subaru outback. So let's compare. Volvo costs exactly twice as much. Which is better: one Volvo XC or two Subaru?
The controversial, of course, is an opinion, but definite.
The autopilot thanks for the help in organizing the trip the leadership of the Volvo concern, his Moscow representative office and personally - Ms. Victoria Pavlova.
Model/Modification Volvo V70 XC AWD
The manufacturer Volvo Car Corporation
The country-producing Sweden
BODY
Type station wagon
Number of doors/places 4/5
ENGINE
Gasoline type with injection and low -pressure turbocharged
The location in front is transversely
Working volume (cubic meter) 2435
Number/location of cylinders 5, in a row
Compression degree 9: 1
Power, kW (L.S.) at about./Min. 142 (193) at 5100
Moment, NM at about./Min. 270 at 1800-5000
Valve number/cylinder 4
TRANSMISSION
Mechanical five -speed or automatic four -speed
The drive is full with the distribution of torque through the viscous factory, the anti -circus system
SUSPENSION
Front spring type Multi-Link
The rear independent multi -link with a stabilizer of the antimony stability
STEERING
Type gear rack with a hydraulic booster
Brakes
Front disk, ventilated
The rear disc
ABS EBD
Wheels
Tire size 205/55R16
Alloy wheels, 16 ''
Dimensions/about EME/Weight
Length/width/height (mm) 4730/1760/1480
Wheel base (mm) 2660
The track front/track of the back (mm) 1520/1490
Clearance (mm) 158
The volume of the fuel tank (L) 70
Dry mass (kg) 1688
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed (km/h) 215 (C mechanical gearbox), 205 (with automatic gearbox)
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 8.7 (with a mechanical gearbox), 9.1 (with automatic gearbox)
Economy
Fuel consumption, medium (l/100 km) 10.9 (with mechanical gearbox), 11.8 (with automatic gearbox)
What else
In the Volvo V70 XC AWD press releases, it is called a machine designed to compete with SUV class cars (Sport Utility Vehicle, or an active lifestyle car). They are increasingly coming into fashion in Europe and the United States, and they include the new Mercedes M-Slasse, Subaru Forester, Daihatsu Terrios and other almost something jeeps. The idea is undoubtedly good, but the goal does not always justify the means. Having bought an Off-Road style, you should not always pay a lot of money for the presence of a handful box and the ability to block one or more differentials. You are not going to participate in Camel Trophy. Many firms have long been producing expensive and not very wagons that may well replace the jeep on a trivial trip to the country or just a picnic.
The absolute leader among cars of a similar class can be considered universals Audi A6 and A8 with a Quattro console - that is, all -wheel drive. In Europe, these cars have been known for a long time and are standing a little more than the Swedish newcomer XC to date. At the same time, they have one significant difference originally laid down in the concept of German cars: Audi all -wheel drive is a tribute to sports fashion and is designed to simply improve the control of the car in difficult road conditions. There can be no question of any serious assault on off -road.
A approximately similar approach exists on Mitsubishi. Galant Wagon was created for those who want to spend their Week-End away from the city bustle by loading the trunk with red wine and meat, but are not ready to pay more than $ 40 thousand for this pleasure ..
Perhaps only the Subary Legacy Outback can be considered a full -fledged XC AWD classmate precisely due to the concept of this car - an all -wheel drive station wagon with a raid of offices. And the appearance, like Volvo, is stylized under the jeep.
Nikolay Kachurin (photo of the author)
Source: "Autopilot"
