Test drive Volvo V70 2000 - 2004 station wagon
Where ours did not disappear
A winding forest path. Under the wheels - an asphalt sprinkled with sand, alternating with blurry soil. Speed \u200b\u200bof about 60 km/h. A lot, given that either the pines lined up on the sides, or the deep dwarfs dug. A closed right turn, closed left, slide, a steep descent, turning into a right turn with an unexpected one - it always happens - a vision. Instinct suggests that this is the end of the adventure. The whole further scenario manages to carry out in my head: a rapid flight in that swamp and close acquaintance with local frogs. Unless, of course, some helpful tree does not decide to help stop. And then - continuous calls: in the traffic police, to the insurance company, to the evacuation service, to the editor and - the most pleasant - the dealer.
The flight of the imagination interrupts the turn remaining behind, and I catch myself thinking that I did not even have time to press the brake, only the gas pedal released. Damn it, but by all calculations I had to slip out of that turn!
Yes, I almost forgot. Under me is the Volvo V70 Cross Country, and this is the second generation of all -wheel drive cars of the Swedish brand. The station wagon is based on the same platform as the S60/S80 sedans, but the usual V70 and CROSS Country are noticeably varying. The all-wheel drive version is not only designed differently, it is equipped with a single engine and an enhanced suspension. Under the hood of the machine is a five-cylinder engine with a system for changing the gas distribution of CVVT and a low-pressure turbine, which allows you to achieve a flat characteristic of torque. Its peak is provided in the range from 1800 to 5000 rpm, despite the fact that the red sector of the tachometer begins already at 6000. In other words, the engine develops the maximum torque of 53% of its working range! And the transmission disposes of him a trace. When driving along dry asphalt, the moment is distributed between the front and rear wheels in a ratio of 95: 5. When the front wheels slipped, part of the moment is transmitted through the viscous factory to the rear. And in difficult road conditions, the assistance of the TracS anti -wings system using standard brake mechanisms to slow down the wheels is very significant. Thanks to her: a) it becomes easier to touch the ice, when the grip of all the wheels on the coating is not enough, b) the start is facilitated on the slopes, when the front surfaces are started on the loose surfaces, the front wheels do not have time to smoke until the rear is the rear. . A few words about the gearboxes. For Cross Country, there are two of them: a five -speed mechanical or branded adaptive machine. Under my right hand is the paw of the automatic box selector. The fright is replaced by enthusiasm.
But the car is capable! Let's go faster, as it turns out later, to a new adventure. In the meantime, the speedometer arrow crossed the line of 70 km/h and approaches 80. The eye no longer notices the flickering of the sun that breaks through the foliage. The pulse becomes more frequent, and Volvo is also excellently standing on the road, behaving completely in the transition in particularly steep turns, smoothly trying to straighten the arc of the trajectory. A sharp discharge of gas causes a subtle shedding of the back of the car, but you can not pay attention to it - drift will not follow anyway. By the way, in case of exceeding reasonable speed in the turns, you can safely slow down - good, ABS provides an opportunity to maintain complete control over the machine, returning it to the intended trajectory even without correcting actions by the steering wheel. In the process of high -speed maneuvering, several remarks arise - so, the steering does not have enough sharpness and returning efforts, and soft seats do not provide the lateral support that you expect. Without losing the pace, I turn onto the path leading to the picturesque lake. Ahead is a beautiful arch of trees, and under it a giant dried puddle with petrified ruts of trucks lurked under it. In anticipation of crushing strikes, the fingers, contrary to the will, tightly compress the steering wheel, the spine is strained like a string. If only the steering wheel was not knocked out! And Cross Country, as if offended by my disbelief in his capabilities, famously jumped on the pits, swaying a couple of times from side to side. 
A powerful suspension gave a lightning -fast battle to bumps, fighting for maintaining the horizontal position of the body, and missed only a few elastic shocks. According to subjective sensations, in this area, the driver of the UAZ would jump to the ceiling. By the way, special thanks must be said thereby the very soft seats - they greatly extinguish the tremors of the body. On broken roads, the front passenger can always grab a convenient handrail located to the left of his seat; The driver, of course, is behind the wheel. And here is the lake. That's all, enough impressions, it's time to take a break, however for fresh air and look at this miracle of Swedish equipment outside. Who could have imagined another ten years ago, that under the Volvo brand, such a combat -looking car may appear? The maximum than the most charged modifications were decorated with a radiator with square cells. Cross Country also has it. Moreover, integrated into a large plastic muzzle, at the same time playing the role of a bumper. It is made of plastic, so he is not afraid of either the pebbles from under the wheels of passing trucks, nor toxic traces of broken insects. Plastic elements also protect wheeled arches, thresholds and bottom of the doors. Add here another metal plate under the front bumper and a 20-centimeter clearance and get a very aggressive surroundings. Perfectly combined with rude forms of the car, in particular, with a relief waist line, causing the classic Volvo seventies in memory. 
The vertical back wall of the body also fits well here. Such a decision is brought by a tangible win in the amount of baggage and its practicality. And the luggage compartment is the holy of saints, the pride of the Volvian station wagons. And in the V70 it is roomy and extremely convenient. From the inside, the cargo compartment is lined with an easily detergent rubber pallet, under which there are two large containers with lover caps. Moreover, the back cover, fixed in the open position of the back cover, has a mesh and hooks for bags. And a metal lattice is attached to the ceiling, which in the lowered position separates the trunk from the cabin. For transportation of four -legged friends, you can’t imagine! The rear seat is divided into three sections in a 2: 1: 2 proportion, and each part of it is folded separately. If the score goes on centimeters, the seat pillow can be dismantled at all, and finally put a damned refrigerator into the machine. The rear head restraints impressed a lot - if you pull special loops, they form themselves, getting rid of frosts with fixators and tearing the head restraints from the backs. This is the concern for the consumer! 
Twenty kilometers to the city flew by unnoticed. On the highway, the car goes like a ship, swaying slightly on the transverse waves and barely noticing the small ripples of the road surface. The machine is a little thoughtful, however, the features of the torque of the engine, which were discussed above, completely eliminate it from the need to rush between transmissions during acceleration and braking. The speed ranges supported in each of the programs are large, which most positively affects the level of comfort. Like delicate, delicate switching. There is no fashionable sequential (manual) regime here, but the adaptive abilities of the transmission compensate for its absence. The box quickly adapts to the manner of driving a particular person, as well as to specific road conditions. Moving the accelerator pedal, the degree of wheel slipping, the lifting/descent angle and other factors do not escape the attention of the electronics. Analyzing a lot of parameters, the machine independently decides when and how to switch the gears. A relatively unloaded track gives a chance to look around in the cabin. 
Volvo V70 is one of those cars that are saturated with the spirit of the late twentieth century. Inside, industrial design dominates with its almost flat and sweeping surfaces. The dashboard includes four turnouts and three displays, which does not violate the perception of information. The trapezoidal central console is covered with a mass of buttons and handles. What is there to tell - look at the photo. In my opinion, it looks cool. The witty already managed to come up with this style - the style of star wars. Milesiles shows that the Swedish designers worked without looking back at competitors and did not seek inspiration in the technique of past decades. It remains to wait for imitations from the east. Do you think Cross Country Salon is perfection itself? No, there are also claims to him. For example, the keys of the front seats are planted in an inaccessible place. Okay, at least they have to use them not so often. But the temperature pens of climate control could be larger-you are twisting a hundred times a day.
However, if you bring such points of the basic configuration of the machine as heating seats, mirrors, janitors and deflectors in the central racks of the body, these shortcomings may seem nonsense. V70 CROSS COUNTRY - like a mammoth. Real northern elephant: large, powerful, not fussy. Not particularly delved into the legs that are being created underfoot and perfectly adapted to survival in the most difficult conditions. For some reason, it seems that extinction certainly does not threaten him.
Source: Wheel magazine [No. 49/2001]
