Volvo XC70

The Volvo VC70 is not the traditional workhorse Volvo station wagon as we know it. This latest-generation Volvo V70 will arrive in early 2008 armed with a new turbo-petrol engine, all-wheel drive, adaptive suspension and a sales brief to tackle the growing sports wagon market.

The V70’s 3.0-litre turbo engine is based on the normally-aspirated 3.2-litre inline six-cylinder found in the XC70. It produces 210kW and 400Nm.

Standard equipment will include a premium sound system with six-CD audio, front and rear parking sensors, speed sensitive steering and self-opening tailgate.

And while there was no V70 available to drive at the XC70 launch, the close engineering relationship between the two vehicles gave some hints about what to expect.

Like the V70, the XC uses the new large-car architecture (codenamed EUCD) as its base. Developed primarily by Volvo for the Ford group, it is also employed by the S80 luxury car, as well as the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the freshly launched Ford Mondeo.