Test drive Volvo V70 2000 - 2004 station wagon

Recipe for success

The VOLVO V70 universal almost came out of the confusion ... I went to the company's representative office in Moscow and wondered what kind of car to test. A new one who debuted in Detroit? So the time since the world premiere has passed nothing ... The office had a Volvo V70 station wagon. Old and long familiar. And behind him, a little further, is a completely different car.
 

In front of me is the new Volvo V70 station wagon, built on the basis of the S80 sedan. In any case, it immediately seemed. All the characteristic features of the sedan were available. The radiator facing the hood, the original lining of the sidewall, which is reflected in the rear lights, which entirely occupy the rear rack of the roof ... But, having looked closely, I noticed the differences in the bumers, and the doors are slightly changed, their outer panel is solid - unlike the door S80 with a separate frame of glass painted black.

 
With the rear doors, it is clear, in rare station wagons they are interchangeable with sedan, but why did the front ones have changed, not quite. After all, the doorway - one of the most complex, expensive and responsible elements of the car body - requires a long painstaking work of designers and technologists.
 

The cunning move that the company did, once again changing the system of indexing its models, led to the fact that it is not clear what to now compare the Volvo V70. It would be logical - with the previous model, but they have different platforms. The previous car used the Volvo 850 platform, and the 2001 station wagon of the 2001 model year was built on the large platform of the S80 sedan. (They say that the V80 option was designed, but it turned out so bulky and clumsy that the developers themselves were frightened and built a smaller car.) So we will have to rush in comparisons ...
 

So, a new station wagon. A centimeter is longer than the previous one, 50 mm wider and higher. The wheelbase is 2756 mm - 100 mm more than that of the predecessor, but 30 mm less than that of the sedan. The back track is expanded by almost 80 mm. The body has become 70% tougher in twisting - the seams are now connected not by point welding, but by glue.
 

So far, the car is offered with only two engines, both gasoline 5-cylinder, familiar by the previous model. Slightly increased efficiency, power has increased slightly. The first, with a volume of 2435 cm cubic meter, equipped with low -pressure turbocharged, develops 200 hp. The second volume has a little smaller (2319 cm cubic meter), but the pressure pressure is higher and the power is 240 hp. In the future, the gamut of engines, at least for Europe, threaten to expand ...
 

Transmissions for the V70 provides for two, mechanics and automatic, both are five -speed. Mechanics are equipped only by a high -headdose engine.
 

The pendants crossed from the sedan without serious changes. Ahead - Macpherson racks with triangular levers, behind - a multi -leaf independent, designed in such a way that in the future it is easy to accept the drive on the rear wheels. The future is not far off, all -wheel drive versions of the V70 and V70 XC should appear in the fall.

 
Under the hood - a transversely located 2.4 l of the engine. Attention was attracted by the crossbar between the supports of the front suspension racks. At first I thought that in this way they decided to increase the hardness of the body, but upon closer examination, it turned out that at the ends of the cross member there were rubber -metal hinges - silent blocks. And then he also noticed a hinge in the middle of the beam. All together turned out to be the upper support of the engine.

 
In the salon in a voluntary is spacious. Finishing in gray tones. The gray skin of the seats is in harmony with the plastic plastic of the torpedo, which, let's say, is too much - free surfaces are painfully extensive. Because of this, torpedo seems rustic, although its shape is quite modern, and the quality of manufacture and assembly is high. The central part is occupied by the built-in audio system, climate control buttons and other little things, including the toggle switch of the DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) exchange rate stability system, a pencil or pencil clamp and an on-board network. Below is a transmission selector (our V70 is equipped with a machine gun), two cup holders between the seats.

 
The seat pleases with convenience and a wide range of adjustments in length, height and tilt of the back, while the electrician frees the driver from appropriate manipulations. There is a memory for three sets of settings, including the position of external mirrors. The lumbar support is adjusted manually.

 
The position of the steering column is also variable, but in comparison with the seat of the possibilities to fit it less for itself - I wanted to put the steering wheel higher. There are no special complaints about the pedals, they are conveniently located. The gas pedal is of good sensitivity.

 
The rear seat is quite wide, but the distance to the back of the front chair is not enough - especially if this chair is adjusted under a high driver. I was sitting a gazeska, resting my knees on the mentioned back, and wondered why this quite large car was pressing the back seat. Probably, the comfort of the rear passengers was donated to increase the volume of the luggage compartment - the station wagon after all.

 
Inspection of the trunk confirmed this assumption (I immediately remembered the term shed). There are really plenty of space here. Almost a truck. The backs of the rear seats with a variable tilt angle are fixed with loving levers, after folding them (neither to remove the headrests, nor messing with safety belts is required) a flat platform is formed, on which, for example, a mountain bike can open up. The transformation of the salon passes without a bitch and a bitch - another confirmation of the high quality of manufacture and assembly of the parts of the car. The fifth door, as in the old V70, does not rise high enough for a person of large growth.

 
When turning the key in the ignition lock, an audio installation revived. The radio worked, the signal in the FM band was accepted quite steady. The engine is not heard at all ... I muffled the receiver, but it gave almost nothing. Judging by the devices, you can go. The selector is in position D, and the car rolled. It took some time to get used to the Volvo V70 size (especially in front), and at first in narrow places I maneuvered carefully. But, in general, he got used to it quickly.
 

Acceleration did not shocked the dynamics, despite the two -hundredth engine. An even, without failures, an increase in engine speed with smooth, without jerking gear - as if you are in a trolleybus that is not too sharply gaining speed. The machine operates very well, it even seems that there are no steps in the transmission at all.
 

An attempt to drive the pedal to the floor clearly found the car by surprise and made it think a lot. It is clear that the V70 in this performance is by no means a street fighter. I tried to go more restrained - and the car immediately thanked me. Everything began to work out, and I remembered that the one who was in no hurry has time. Measured movement - the destiny of this machine. She seemed to be waiting for us to find a common language.


And what a pendant! Soft, comfortable, while passengers do not rock the passengers. The car quickly calms down after longitudinal long irregularities, and you do not notice such troubles such as a small road relief at all. And no longer upset a slightly sluggish reaction to a quick rotation of the steering wheel when changing the lanes. Just think, this is not Audi S4, for example.


Night, MKAD ... Tikhonya V70, without straining, makes 180 km/h. At some point, I decided that the speedometer was lying back: it seemed that the speed was somewhere in the region of 120, the car smoothly and at the same time managed to take vigilance by a third, so to speak with stability. The steering in the area of \u200b\u200bzero is somewhat vague. There is nothing to say about the brakes - they just do their job well.
 

Short definition: VOLVO V70 station wagon is a solid, reliable family car. Not very original, of course, this can also be characterized by many Volvo cars of previous generations. But the traditions are observed (despite the fact that the above characteristic, you agree, must inspire respect). Well, stability, as you know, is the key to success.
 

Sergey Ivanov
 
 

 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 5/2000]