Category: Executive 
Price Range: No data available
Big boot, safety kit, no-nonsense styling.
Heavy, thirsty and disappointing to drive.
The big Volvo grows yet again, but ultimately falls short.
There's no getting away from the fact that the V70 is a heavy car, tipping the scales at around 1.7 or 1.8 tonnes, depending on engine choice. On the road, you really feel this weight as the V70 wallows through corners and doesn't like to be thrown around with too much gusto. On a motorway cruise the ride isn't anywhere near as composed as the likes of the E-Class or 5-Series, even with the FOUR-C active suspension system - standard fit on SE Sport models, optional on others.
An automatic gearbox is standard on the six-cylinder petrols and optional with all other engines. It features a Geartronic manual system that allows you to shift up and down through the six gears by knocking the gearstick fore and aft. It's not the quickest of systems around and can sometimes get itself confused, changing gear at inopportune moments. Engine and road noise is ever-present.
The standard electronic parking brake takes some getting used to: it's activated by pressing a button on the lower section of the dashboard, but is disengaged automatically when you apply the accelerator to move off.
Despite boasting impressive power figures, none of the V70's engines really light up a drive in the V70. The D5 diesel has a perfectly adequate 182bhp and 295lb-ft of torque available, giving a 0-62mph time of 8.4secs and a top speed of 140mph, but as the maximum torque is only available between 2,000 and 2,750rpm, you may find you have to change gears more often than you'd like in order to make good progress. The 2.4D manages a 0-62mph time of 9.4secs and a top speed of 130mph.
The T6 AWD model is the best performer, tackling the 0-62mph sprint in 6.7secs on to a 152mph top speed, but its thirst, emissions and price will put many off. The more sensible 2.5 turbo and normally aspirated 3.2 models offer similar performance to each other, with 0-62mph times in the mid-seven-second mark and top speeds of 130 and 146mph respectively.
