The Volvo V70 is a midsized five door estate car; it has been produced by Volvo since 1996. The new Volvo XC70 in Essex is based on the V70 and is sometimes referred to as the cross country version. The XC70 has been around since 2007.
The XC70 is available with two diesel engines and one petrol. The diesels are five cylinder engines, the D3 is only available on front wheel drive vehicles and the D5 is available on all four wheel drive models.
The petrol is a feisty 282bhp 3.0 litre T6 with four wheel drive, this XC70 is fast and feels full of energy. Due to its height the ride can be a little choppy around town but on the motorway its fine. The steering is nimble and doesn't really provide adequate feedback.
The XC70 has good ground clearance but it's still not a full on 4x4, more of an estate with off roading capabilities. The Diesel D5 is ideal for pulling trailers and driving though off beaten tracks, the four wheel drive and hill descent means it can drag you out of most situations.
Being a Volvo the cabin is quite bland but the layout has been designed to make the driver as comfortable as possible, the models with leather interior really do look impressive. Around town though you might notice a few suspension clunks and some mechanical racket when accelerating hard away from the lights.