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Claudia Hommel
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Extraordinaire
Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 2006 Volvo V70R by Cordell Koland Over the years, Volvo wagons have attained a kind of iconic status for family transport in certain upscale suburban settings, particularly those with a high educational quotient such as the area around Stanford University. Several years ago, Volvo realized that the station wagon wasn¹t the only alternative for practical family transport. To meet the SUV challenge the Volvo V70 wagon morphed into the XC70 wagon, which delivers some of the attributes of a sport-utility vehicle, such as all-wheel-drive, skid plates, and bigger, stronger bumpers. But despite the XC70, Volvo's large V70 wagon platform has been greatly eclipsed by the newer Volvo XC90 SUV, which by 2005 was outselling it by nearly two-to-one. The Volvo wagon has been revered for its cavernous interior and reputation for safety. But there's a Clark Kent sort of Volvo wagon that looks as bland as a bookend, but has a real sting. The V70R, our test vehicle, comes to the party with a turbocharged engine and lots of performance potential. In this case, the letter R must stand for "racy." While the wagon doesn't exactly achieve the chic persona of the BMW 5-Series wagon, it will beat almost anything on wheels to get to a sale at Nordstrom. The V70R features a 300 horsepower engine with lots of torque for fast acceleration. How fast, depends on the choice of transmission. For 2006 Volvo offers a new optional six-speed Geartronic automatic transmission that offers zero-to-60 mph acceleration of 6.5 seconds compared to the previous mark of 7.4 seconds. The standard six-speed manual gearbox does even better. It will rocket to 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds, and that's sports car territory. The turbocharged engine, however, racks up reasonable mileage an EPA certified 25 mpg for highway driving. In addition to the new transmission, Volvo offers a new all-wheel-drive system in the V70R that improves both safety and performance. The new system instantly delivers up to 50 percent more torque to the rear wheels on an as-needed basis, such as during takeoff. Previously, if the all-wheel-drive system sensed that the front wheels were losing traction, one-seventh of a wheel rotation occurred before it began sending power to the rear wheels. That time gap could provide an unwelcome loss of traction under extreme conditions. On the road the Volvo wagon is fast and comfortable. Given the car's ability to go fast, the need to stop fast is fulfilled with the addition of massive Brembo brakes with awesome stopping power. If there's one downside to the V70R, it is a bit noisy in comparison to other premium vehicles. In particular, I find the engine noise irritating. The turbocharged engine emits a hollow hum that somehow sounds more like a vacuum cleaner and less like a real automobile powerplant. The driver-controlled suspension is a real plus. At first, I thought the ride a bit harsh. Then I noticed a button on the center console that offered a suspension control that instantly retunes the shock absorbers for a much softer ride. This was perfect for a cruise down the Interstate replete with various patches and expansion joints. But when I got to a demanding section of mountain road, I could switch back to a firm suspension setting that offered more control and feedback. In true Volvo fashion, the V70R is loaded with the latest in safety technology. It offers Volvo's anti-whiplash head-restraint system as well as side-impact airbags and side air-curtain technology, which offers head protection for both front and rear passengers. When deployed through a side impact, the curtain drops down from the headliner, inflates and covers the side windows‹front and rear. The curtain also could prevent an occupant from flying out the window in the event of a rollover as well as preventing foreign objects from entering the cabin through a shattered window. Vehicle: V70R
Price as tested: $45,115 Engine: Type: Turbocharged 2.5-liter inline five cylinder Horsepower: 300 @ 5,500 rpm Torque: 295 lbs.-ft. @ 1,950 rpm Fuel economy, automatic transmission City 18 mpg Highway 25 mpg Curb Weight: 3,646 lbs. Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
